Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 94 and 167 together.

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs will decentralise to Limerick. This is scheduled to take place during the second half of 2007 and will involve the relocation to Limerick of 124 posts. In addition and to help effect the smoothest possible transfer to Limerick, an advance party involving approximately 50 staff is scheduled to decentralise in May. Overall, personnel have either been assigned to or identified for 90 posts, or approximately 73% of the 124 posts scheduled to be decentralised.

As regards development specialists, they perform an important role in the business of Irish Aid. Specialists work alongside diplomatic and general service staff in close contact and co-operation with each business unit within the division. There are a number of issues to be worked out with regard to the specialist posts which are scheduled to move. Discussions are ongoing at a senior level with representatives of the specialists, their union, IMPACT, and the Departments of Finance and Foreign Affairs to resolve the outstanding issues. Progress has been made and I hope the discussions can be brought to a successful conclusion at an early date. Until these sensitive discussions are concluded, it would be premature to speculate on the number of specialist posts which might be decentralised to Limerick.

In addition to the development specialist posts at headquarters, there are 20 development specialists attached to embassies in our programme countries. Almost all the senior management team for Limerick is in place. In this regard, the director general of Irish Aid will decentralise to Limerick, as will seven counsellors or principal officers who are in place in the directorate. The changeover of the senior management team, as in other grades, has been implemented in a planned and careful way so as to minimise disruption to the business of the directorate.

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