Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

From questions to the previous Minister I understand eight members of staff with experience in the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism are moving. Some five members have moved and three still have to move. Does the Minister understand the concern that exists in all sectors of the Department with the loss of expertise, corporate memory and continuity and the lack of any coherence? I understand this is an early mover and the move is happening but there is no transfer of experience. The previous Minister was Dublin based but how does Deputy Cullen propose to operate a Department as diverse as it is from Waterford? In his first week, the Minister has learned that the Department consists almost entirely of agencies, most of which are based in Dublin, such as the Sports Council and the cultural institutions on both sides of Leinster House. How does the Minister envisage this operating? They cannot move so would the Minister reconsider total decentralisation?

I was surprised to hear only €645,000 has already been spent, which I thought was great value, until I discovered this figure excluded property. I do not know what €645,000 was spent on so far. It might be feasible to decentralise one element of sports, arts or tourism but trying to decentralise all three elements when all the bodies are based in Dublin and the Minister is based in Waterford, with no principal officers leaving and I suspect only one assistant secretary and seven other members of staff, would seem to lead to absolute chaos. No policy unit is decentralising. Where is this Department going?

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