Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach said the number of people who had applied for decentralisation from his Department was 28. That is exactly the number who had applied for decentralisation in March. I take it from his reply that nobody has been decentralised from his Department since March. When was the last occasion on which there was a successful applicant for decentralisation? In other words, when was someone last decentralised from the Department of the Taoiseach?

What is the position regarding the announcement in the October 2008 budget that, in effect, the decentralisation process has been put on hold? Does that mean no further applications are being accepted or considered within Departments or does it mean no further decentralisation is taking place?

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