Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together.

Thirty-nine staff serving in my Department have applied through the central applications facility to relocate under the decentralisation programme. The breakdown by grade is: assistant principal officer, seven; higher executive officer, three; administrative officer, seven; executive officer, nine; staff officer, two; and clerical officer, 11. Ten former members of staff have already been assigned to decentralised posts.

Arrangements are in place to ensure that the decentralisation of staff does not impact negatively on the quality of the services provided by the Department. These arrangements include the phased redeployment of some of the remaining staff to the areas of the Department most affected by decentralisation and the provision of training and job profiles/work manuals to new staff, as appropriate.

That 18% of the staff of my Department have opted to relocate outside Dublin shows that the underlying decision to initiate a comprehensive decentralisation programme was the correct one. Deputies will be aware that there are no proposals to decentralise my Department or any of the bodies under its aegis.

See this speech in context