Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if civil servants in his Department who have agreed to decentralise to Knock will be awarded a bonus for doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30710/05]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the decentralisation of his Department to Knock; if his Department will meet the deadline originally outlined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30682/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 90 agus 96 le chéile.

My Department is scheduled to complete its move to Knock Airport by the end of 2007. As part of the decentralisation process, my Department is planning to relocate up to 40 staff in advance of the main move subject, inter alia, to the availability of suitable temporary accommodation in the general area. The Office of Public Works is currently seeking to source suitable accommodation and I hope that this advance move can take place by mid 2006.

The Office of Public Works is also in the process of finalising the purchase of a site for a permanent headquarters building for my Department. It is expected that a competition will be advertised shortly for the design and building of the headquarters and that work on site should begin in the second quarter of next year. All necessary work on the building is scheduled to be completed in time for staff to move to Knock Airport by the original deadline.

To support the decentralisation process, my Department has prepared a comprehensive decentralisation implementation plan, which sets out steps to be taken to ensure a successful relocation. The plan follows the guidelines set down by the Government's decentralisation implementation group. The plan is being implemented in full consultation with managers and staff and is in line with industrial relations agreements and good practice.

There are no plans to award a bonus to civil servants in my Department for agreeing to decentralise to Knock Airport.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Last June, the Minister told us that he expected construction to start in the final quarter of 2005, but that has now gone back to the second quarter of 2006. He also indicated that there were 160 posts and 157 applicants. Are those applicants all from the Minister's Department or are they from a group of Departments?

I asked the question about the bonus because gardaí, teachers and nurses working in Gaeltacht areas are paid a bonus. Will the Minister inform us whether civil servants in his Department working in Furbo, County Galway, are paid a similar bonus? Are the people working in local offices in Derrybeg, Tralee and Achill paid a bonus also? Has the prospect of paying a bonus to Foras na Gaeilge staff, who are to be decentralised to Gweedore, been examined on the same basis as groups that are already in receipt of such a bonus in Gaeltacht areas?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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First of all, Knock is not in the Gaeltacht.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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I accept that.

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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It is close.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Obviously, therefore, whatever entitlements one might have in the Gaeltacht certainly would not apply to Knock. Second, to my knowledge there is no bonus or extra payment for any civil servants operating in the Gaeltacht. The Deputy raised issues concerning gardaí and others, but they relate to regulations that are made under various Acts. To the best of my knowledge, there is no difference in the wages of civil servants in my Department, irrespective of where they are based. I will confirm that for the Deputy if he wishes me to do so.

We have had 187 applicants for 164 places in Knock. They do not all match off according to grades. However, I am confident that we will be able to staff Knock fully. We are working on the basis of transferring people into the Department who want to go to Knock. One of the interesting developments, which I had predicted in the beginning, is that people who are already in rural locations want to transfer. For example, people in places such as Galway and Castlebar wish to transfer to the Department in Knock. It is giving a regional choice, which is what we had hoped for, without having to come to Dublin. If someone is already in a western location and wants to work in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in Knock, that person will not want to come to Dublin for a year or two to transfer back to the west. Those are the issues but the programme is going well.

The Deputy is correct in respect of the delays involved. The Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, put it well when he told Deputy Boyle that if one tries to give a deadline in an honest answer, making the best call, one is in danger of not always achieving the target. Delays can occur in purchasing properties, for example, but the decentralisation programme is proceeding well. The issues concerning decentralisation are proceeding apace and while the programme may not be going as fast as we had hoped, it is still going very well.

The Minister of State and myself have asked the chief executive officer of Foras na Gaeilge to furnish us with an implementation plan by the end of 2005.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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An bhféadfadh an tAire a rá an bhfuil difear stádais idir na státseirbhísigh atá ag dul go Cnoc Mhuire agus baill d'fhoireann Fhoras na Gaeilge atá le dhul go Gaoth Dobhair? An státseirbhísigh iad ar aon agus an bhfuil an stádas céanna ag an dá dhream? An bhfuil an t-amchlár céanna fíor maidir le Gaoth Dobhair is atá fíor maidir le Cnoc Mhuire?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Arís, beidh orm na mionsonraí a fheiceáil, mar, de réir mar a thuigim, ní státseirbhísigh iad an chuid is mó d'fhoireann Fhoras na Gaeilge. Níl mé cinnte an ndearnadh an t-athrú ariamh maidir leis na poist a tháinig ón nGúm go Foras na Gaeilge, agus cuirfidh mé deimhniú chuig an Teachta maidir le seasamh fostaíochta na ndaoine eile. Tá an chuid eile den fhoireann, de réir mar a thuigim, fostaithe ag an bhforas, agus mar sin, tá sé cosúil le foras Stáit ar bith. Tá sé sin le rá go bhfuil siad fostaithe ag an bhforas, agus níl siad inaistrithe ar an gcaoi chéanna a mbeadh státseirbhísigh. Is daoine speisialta atá ag obair sa nGúm, agus níl siad inaistrithe i gcónaí, fiú más státseirbhísigh iad go teicniúil.

Maidir leis an gcuid eile, ar ndóigh, na státseirbhísigh sna Ranna, tá riail ar bun go mbíonn daoine ag dul ó Roinn go Roinn an t-am ar fad. Déanann sé sin an jab níos éasca ó thaobh dílárnú rannóga Rialtais de ná mar atá sé le forais Stáit. Maidir le dílárnú Fhoras na Gaeilge agus an t-amscála, glacaim leis go mbeidh sé sin leagtha amach go soiléir ag príomhfheidhmeannach an fhorais sa bplean feidhmiúcháin atá le cur chugainn roimh dheireadh na bliana. Níor mhaith liom ní ba mhó a rá faoi sin go bhfeicfidh mé an plean a chuirfidh sé chugainn.