Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As I outlined in answers to similar questions on 3 March 2005, promotion and recruitment are key elements of the Government's decentralisation programme and I refer Deputies to my earlier reply which set out the general position on this matter.

In keeping with the recommendations of the decentralisation implementation group, recruitment and promotion practices and procedures must be revised. This is being carried out in accordance with the following four principles: decentralising Departments, offices and business units must be able to build up sufficient numbers of trained staff to work in the new locations with minimum disruption to service levels; staff opting to remain in Dublin must be redeployed as quickly and efficiently as possible; the morale of staff must be supported by maintaining appropriate promotional opportunities in Dublin; and the procedures adopted must allow departmental management to discharge the core business functions of the organisation and maintain service levels.

The key point is that where a promotion arises for a post which is being decentralised as part of the decentralisation programme, it is entirely reasonable for the employing Department to ask staff accepting that promotion to agree to move with the post. Changing promotion procedures in this way does not interfere with the voluntary nature of the decentralisation programme. The Government has made clear on a number of occasions that participation in the programme is voluntary and no one is being forced to decentralise.

Discussions are continuing between management and the Civil Service unions with the aim of agreeing new promotion and recruitment mechanisms to support implementation of the programme. It would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on these discussions.

The Government wants to reach a reasonable agreement on these issues with staff unions, namely, an agreement which supports the early and efficient implementation of the programme while at the same time taking account of the legitimate desires of staff remaining in Dublin to maintain appropriate opportunities for promotion.

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