Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

Three categories of specialists — principal development specialists, senior development specialists and development specialists — are employed by Irish Aid. None of the three principal development specialists who serve in Irish Aid's headquarters in Dublin has applied to decentralise to Limerick. None of the 12 senior development specialists who work in Irish Aid's headquarters has applied to decentralise to Limerick. Two senior development specialists originally applied to decentralise to Limerick, but subsequently withdrew their applications. Five of the nine development specialists who work in Irish Aid's headquarters are scheduled to decentralise to Limerick. Four of the five development specialists in question commenced employment since the announcement of the decentralisation programme in December 2003. One of them applied via the central applications facility. Discussions are ongoing with representatives of the specialists, their union IMPACT and the Department of Finance about the issues involved in decentralisation, which have a wider Civil Service dimension. I hope that a greater number of specialists will, in time, volunteer to decentralise to Limerick.

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