Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is scheduled to relocate under the decentralisation programme to offices at Na Forbacha, Galway, and Charlestown, County Mayo. Our commitment to Na Forbacha has been met in full with ten staff now relocated to the Department's offices at that location.

Significant progress has been made to date with decentralisation of the Department's headquarters to Charlestown. From a total of 140 staff due to decentralise, 100 staff have relocated to an interim location in Tubbercurry, County Sligo, where two properties are being leased by the Office of Public Works to accommodate the staff concerned. A significant number of departmental business units, including the full rural, community and finance divisions, are now operating successfully from Tubbercurry.

The eventual destination identified by the Government for the Department is Charlestown, County Mayo. The Office of Public Works has been engaged in the process of selecting and purchasing a permanent site for the Department's headquarters at that location. The Office of Public Works is liaising with the Department of Finance and relevant authorities on a particular site in Charlestown, identified as being suitable.

The Department of Finance was recently approached by a community development organisation concerning a property in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, with turn-key potential as a headquarters building. On foot of this approach, the Office of Public Work is examining the property in question to ascertain its suitability. This is a sensible and prudent response to the approach that has been made and implies no decision.

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