Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 12, 14, 18, 32 and 94 together.

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the entire Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism with the exception of the national archives, comprising approximately 130 posts, has been designated as one of the "early mover" Departments by the Decentralisation Implementation Group. Deputies will be aware that the Government recently reaffirmed its commitment to the full implementation of the decentralisation programme, as provided for in the programme for Government, including the movement of departmental headquarters. Significant progress has been made to that end. I expect the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism will have fully relocated to new premises in Killarney by the end of next year.

The original number of applications received under the central application facility for transfer to Killarney exceeded the numbers required for all of the grades, with the exception of the principal officer grade where there is a shortfall of five. Eight of the staff members originally serving in the Department have indicated they wish to relocate with the Department. The process of transferring staff from other Departments and offices who had applied through the CAF commenced in 2005 on a phased basis. Some 80 staff who have opted to relocate are now in place in the Department. Some 70 staff, 24 of whom relocated from Dublin, have relocated to temporary accommodation at Fossa in Killarney in two phases. The first phase in September 2006 involved the transfer of 46 staff and the second phase in July of this year involved a further 24 staff. A further ten staff who are based in the Department's offices in Dublin are due to transfer. Seven workers who are still listed on the CAF to transfer to my Department are based in Dublin. The remaining staff in the Department who do not want to move to Killarney will transfer to other Departments in Dublin or Departments which are scheduled to decentralise to other locations. This ongoing process will proceed until all officers who are not transferring to Killarney are transferred to other organisations. Following a tendering process, the OPW selected PJ Hegarty and Sons to develop the permanent building for the Department's headquarters in Killarney, under a design-build fixed price contract. The OPW is managing the project for my Department. The construction of the new building in Killarney commenced in May of this year and the anticipated completion date is the last quarter of 2008.

Three agencies operating under the aegis of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism have also been selected to decentralise, including the Arts Council which is to move to Kilkenny. None of these bodies was designated as an early mover. All the prepared decentralisation plans which were submitted to the Decentralisation Implementation Group in 2004 are under review and are being revised. Some 49 staff are employed in the Arts Council. Forty applications have been received under the CAF from people who wish to transfer to Killarney. None of the staff of the Arts Council at the time of the announcement of the programme has opted to relocate. The employment contracts of seven staff members who have been recruited since the announcement contain a relocation condition. The Office of Public Works is assessing a number of options for suitable locations and properties in Kilkenny for the Arts Council. I have asked the chairs of the agencies under the remit of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, including the Arts Council, to renew the drive to make progress on their transfer under the decentralisation programme. Furthermore, the Secretary General of my Department, together with the CEOs of the three agencies, met the Decentralisation Implementation Group last week to discuss the progress that has been made so far and to discuss future plans for the relocation of the bodies.

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