Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

In my Department, ten staff have already moved to posts. As Deputy Rabbitte is aware, through the managed system staff are moving to posts and areas. People who want to be decentralised across a range of areas are moving to offices that will be decentralised. This year about 1,000 people overall will be in posts and the figure will be several thousand in the next three years. From 2007 to 2009 the figure will reach 6,000.

There is a huge movement within the Department in a managed way which is now worked out with the unions. In fairness to the public service unions a good system was worked out. It will take a bit of time to move through the system but it is a good and organised system which allows people to move.

Ten staff members have gone and given the way it operates I would see most of these people moving on probably over the next two years. To date, decentralisation organisations have moved to 12 new locations. By the end of September this year I am told 2,300 staff will be assigned to decentralised posts. Within 18 months, there will be 29 locations across the country. Over the three year period we will see a very large number of people moving. The schedule is for the planned movement of 6,800 staff over the three-year period. It is a very large movement of people. Admittedly it is not what it was meant to be at the start but by the end of 2009 a total of 6,800 will have gone.

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