Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

A total of 10,600 civil servants have applied to the central applications facility to relocate. The central applications facility continues to receive new applications every week. It is anticipated interest will increase further as buildings are built and timetables firm up. With regard to property, site acquisition negotiations have been completed in 13 locations, contracts have been received for an additional ten locations and suitable sites have been identified in a further 15 locations. Negotiations to acquire have either commenced or are close to commencement in these locations.

Agreement has been reached on most of the human resource and industrial relations issues and has enabled progress on transfer to staff promotions. Discussions are ongoing in other areas. Movement of staff between Departments and offices is well under way and 1,500 people have already signed up for Departments. All the Departments and offices have produced implementation plans setting out the detailed arrangements they are putting in place for the relocation. The various negotiations with the unions are progressing. In the Civil Service they are far more advanced but there have been difficulties in the agencies. There are some difficulties on the professional side as well.

The point I made in the House last week that we had extended the timescale was made last year at the launch of the implementation report and was written about in many newspapers. What I said a few days ago was that we will not get all this done. It will not be possible to build all the buildings and get everything finished by Christmas. That was my great announcement and I thought it was stating the obvious——

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