Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I will try to answer a number of those questions while complying with the Ceann Comhairle's ruling.

Phil Flynn who reports to the special Cabinet sub-committee chairs the implementation group responsible for driving forward the process. There has been no change in the composition of the sub-committee in terms of the Departments involved but different Ministers have come on board since the reshuffle. The group comprises Mr. Dermot Quigley, former Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners; Ms Jane Williams, managing director of SIA Group; Mr. Fred Devlin, chartered surveyor; Mr. Eddie Sullivan, Secretary General of PSMD in the Department of Finance; and Mr. Seán Benton, chairman of the Office of Public Works. That group, working to the Cabinet sub-committee, drives the implementation. In many cases it uses outside agencies or individuals where needed to assist in its work.

Obviously the second question related to people who would move from my Department and decentralise. Individuals in other Departments who did not want to move would then move into those posts. That would be a function of the central applications facility which would deal with all these issues.

Regarding the locations, we must remember that the scheme is voluntary. The Deputy might say that the locations could be more widely dispersed. While no particular research was carried out before the budget for 2004, it was well known because we have been involved in this process since the late 1980s. Nothing has really changed in that. The people do not want to go too far away in greater numbers and we must work on it. It is a voluntary scheme so we must carry people with us.

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