Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for the opportunity to raise this issue which is important both to my constituency and the east coast generally. I refer to the decentralisation plans for Drogheda and south Louth. Some time ago, many parts of the country welcomed the Government's decision to decentralise significant portions of the public service. People recognised the significant economic impact that decentralisation would have in the target locations.

Being situated in the North-South corridor, Drogheda was one of the prime locations to be considered as part of the decentralisation programme. The decision to relocate a significant number of public service employees to Drogheda was welcomed. In recent years, the town has been one of the most rapidly growing areas on the east coast and some may say in western Europe. The number of housing units built in the town has grown phenomenally and a significant dormitory population live in Drogheda and work in Dublin. That they can live in Drogheda and commute on a daily basis to Dublin is a tribute to the positive and worthwhile investment in road infrastructure by way of the M1 from Dublin to the Border. It illustrates the importance of investment in our road network for the development of towns such as Drogheda in County Louth.

People in the public service have significant and understandable interest in coming to Drogheda. I am sure it will be much easier for public servants who live on the north side of Dublin to turn the car northwards towards Drogheda than to face the traffic problems they may encounter in going to work in various Government Departments around the city.

It goes without saying that people with an interest in the completion of this project are anxious to see the timescale for locating the offices in Drogheda and for public servants to begin to come to the town in greater numbers than previously. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply on this subject.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Kirk for raising this matter. On behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, I wish to reply. The Government's decentralisation programme envisages that the headquarters of the Department of Social and Family Affairs will be relocated to Drogheda, County Louth, together with a number of other public service operations, including, inter alia, Comhairle, Reach, the social and family affairs appeals office and certain maritime elements of the Department of Transport. All told, the total number of posts to be decentralised to Drogheda is approximately 700. These numbers will provide a significant and welcome economic boost to the town of Drogheda.

The Office of Public Works has the task of sourcing suitable property solutions to meet the requirements of the decentralising Departments and agencies throughout the country. The office has made good progress in this regard. To date it has completed or significantly advanced property acquisition negotiations in 23 of the more than 50 locations targeted under the decentralisation programme. Sites for the balance of the decentralisation locations are also being actively pursued by the Office of Public Works.

In the case of Drogheda, the Office of Public Works has identified a number of centrally located sites which meet the criteria of the decentralisation implementation group together with those of the relevant decentralising bodies. These sites are in the ownership of the local authority. Agreement in principle has been reached with the local authority officials for the sale of these sites to the OPW for decentralisation purposes.

Detailed site investigations and archaeological assessments are under way and are expected to be completed shortly. In tandem with the ongoing technical assessments, negotiations on the terms and conditions of sale have commenced with the local authority. Subject to satisfactory terms being agreed and satisfactory outcomes to the technical assessments, the Office of Public Works hopes to be in a position to complete the purchase of the selected sites in the near future. The decentralisation implementation group has set out indicative timescales for the completion of the construction of decentralised offices in the "early mover" locations, which include Drogheda.

The indicative timescale for construction completion in the case of the Department of Social and Family Affairs offices is the first quarter of 2009. For the maritime related bodies, the indicative timescale is the first quarter of 2007. It is important to remember that these timescales are indicative. This reflects the fact that many unforeseen circumstances could impact on these timeframes. However, the Office of Public Works will continue to strive to ensure that the decentralisation plans for Drogheda are implemented within the indicative timescales set out by the decentralisation group.