Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I want to put this in context. It is important to set out the background to this matter, given that there are those who might criticise this Government over delays in honouring its commitment in the programme for Government.

A decision was made in 1992 to decentralise the General Register Office to Roscommon town, which it has taken ten years to achieve, that being one of the longest sagas in the history of decentralisation. That office has been decentralised for some time to Roscommon town and the staff are based in good quality temporary accommodation.

The new buildings to accommodate civil servants have been approved by An Bord Pleanála in the past two weeks. I appeal to the Minister of State to move forward the contract process to ensure the builders move on to the site. These buildings are to accommodate in one quality complex all the decentralised Government offices in Roscommon town. I refer to the agricultural office, the social welfare office, the General Register Office and the driving test centre under the Department of the Environment and Local Government, the temporary offices of which are in an appalling condition. This new complex will accommodate more than 200 civil servants and it will have crèche and other facilities.

When a decision was made by the Government in 1992 when I was a Deputy to decentralise the General Register Office to Roscommon town, Garret FitzGerald objected. He said that it was unsuitable to decentralise that office because his academic friends might have great difficulty finding the town of Roscommon, even though it is on a major rail link.