Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The inability of the Taoiseach to clarify the status of the remaining ten officials in his Department invites a further question. What is the status of the freeze on the decentralisation programme in budget 2009? Are the ten officials who want to be decentralised but are still in the Department of the Taoiseach continuing to be considered under the decentralisation programme? Where is the truth in all of this? Is the programme suspended or not? What is the current status of the programme? I thought it had been decided that the relocations were not proceeding. I wonder how that decision affects the remaining applicants in the Department of the Taoiseach.

With regard to the missive prepared by the Department of Finance when were these assessments carried out on the affordable accommodation on the list? Does the Taoiseach accept the price of property has reduced significantly over the past 18 months and, particularly, over the past 12 months? Is it not the case that many of these options are now more affordable? Will that be part of a brought forward review of the overall plans? With regard to the idea of waiting until 2011, is the project being abandoned?

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