Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, currently based in Dublin, is scheduled to decentralise to Limerick in the first quarter of 2007. There are 123 posts attached to the directorate at headquarters, of which 24 are specialist posts, with three of these being designated as principal development specialists. No applications through the central applications facility, CAF, have been received for these three posts so far.

On the other hand, a combined total of eight senior development specialists and development specialists currently serving in the directorate have applied through the CAF for the 21 posts at these levels which are being decentralised to Limerick. In addition, four development specialists have been recruited since the announcement of the decentralisation programme.

In summary, therefore, arrangements are in place to fill 12 of the 24 specialist posts. It would be my hope that a greater number of specialists will volunteer to decentralise to Limerick as the date for the decentralisation of the directorate draws nearer.

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