John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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In July 2006, 37 staff from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs moved to new advance offices in Tubbercurry, County Sligo. The plan was that the staff would be based there temporarily pending construction of a new headquarters at Knock Airport in County Mayo. Later other sections of the Department transferred to Tubbercurry. For the past six years the staff in question have been working effectively at the Tubbercurry location and, by all accounts, have settled into a successful and happy lifestyle.

The former Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, for whom I have tremendous respect and who was committed to rural regeneration during his time as Minister, had originally planned for the relocation of the Department to Knock Airport. This move never happened, as the proposed office building at Knock Airport did not receive planning permission. It was then proposed that the staff would move to Charlestown. When that option was rejected, a facility in Kiltimagh was examined, but it has now been rejected. It is clear that there are no suitable premises at Knock Airport and that the premises identified in Charlestown and Kiltimagh have been established as being unsuitable. Planning for an eventual move by staff to a County Mayo location is no longer feasible or practical.

There is now an air of unreality about the commitment of the former Minister to move staff to County Mayo. I accept that he made his original commitment in good faith; however, six years on, it is time for the current Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Pat Carey, to re-evaluate the situation. The staff working and living in Tubbercurry are uncertain about their long-term work and living locations. All of the staff who transferred to Tubbercurry are well settled into the local community and do not wish to uproot and move again. For their part, the local Tubbercurry community has made them welcome and did everything possible to ensure the new arrivals were integrated smoothly. Tubbercurry and the wider south Sligo area have benefited economically and socially from the arrival of the departmental staff. In addition, some new jobs have been created in business support and related activities.

I fully support the broad decentralisation programme. The Western Development Commission carried out a study of the beneficial impact of decentralised offices in various parts of the country, particularly the west, and noted that the economic impact of the relocation of jobs to the western region had been positive and significant.

Public sector employees have taken up opportunities to relocate to the western region for quality of life reasons. I refer to the many benefits realised by easier commuting to work. The western region offers many advantages, some of which we heard yesterday in Dáil Éireann, in terms of cost savings and benefits from living in a close community, being closer to family and living in a rural location. Eventually the western rail track will come to Tubbercurry.

The relocation of Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs public sector jobs to Tubbercurry brought major benefits to south Sligo. Will the Minister confirm that staff will remain in Tubbercurry, and will he confirm that any necessary work to ensure the best working conditions for staff will be carried out?

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the decentralisation programme, 140 staff of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs were due to decentralise to Knock Airport. However, following a decision in 2008 by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for the development of the Department's headquarters at Knock Airport, the Government decided in October 2008 to proceed with the decentralisation of the Department's headquarters to Charlestown, County Mayo.

Following the announcement of Government to decentralise the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, it was decided to relocate an advance party to temporary accommodation in Tubbercurry, County Sligo. From the total of the 140 staff due to decentralise to Charlestown, County Mayo, a total of 100 staff have now relocated to Tubbercurry, County Sligo. A significant number of the business units of the Department, including the full rural, community and financial business units, are operating successfully in Tubbercurry, where two properties are being rented to accommodate the staff concerned.

The two properties in Tubbercurry, County Sligo, which the Department are currently occupying, were selected for the Department by the Office of Public Works, which is responsible for the acquisition and rental of State property. These properties meet all the requirements of the Office of Public Works. The Office of Public Works is currently leasing the two properties in question and has leases on the premises until July 2012.

Regarding the Deputy's statement that new proposals that the staff transfer to Kiltimagh have been examined and rejected, I confirm that in May 2009 the Government was approached regarding the suitability of a building in Kiltimagh as a headquarters for the Department. The Government requested the OPW to carry out a review of this accommodation and to assess whether it was suitable for the Department's headquarters. The advice received from the OPW was that the building at Kiltimagh was not suitable for the Department's headquarters and did not meet the physical requirements of the Department.

It is not the case that new proposals that the staff transfer to Charlestown have been examined and rejected. The position is that in light of budgetary constraints and affordability issues, the Government decided to defer proceeding with permanent accommodation in Charlestown at this time. This location, along with four other deferred projects - Drogheda, The Curragh, Mullingar and Carlow - will be considered as part of the overall review of the decentralisation programme in 2011.