Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, to the House. I have raised the issue of decentralisation and Newcastle West many times since the programme was first announced. I raise the matter in a different context today because the decentralisation project in Newcastle West appears scheduled for some time in 2008. Commitments were given to many staff based in the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in Limerick and being trained for work in the office in Newcastle West. The staff are now getting understandably impatient at being housed in temporary premises in the city.

To put this in context, in March 2005 Revenue's decentralisation implementation plan gave the indicative timescale for the move to Newcastle West as September 2006. In June 2005 the first round of letters was issued formally offering positions in the decentralised Newcastle West office to those who had applied through the central applications facility. These applicants were advised that the move was scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2006 and were given five working days to respond. Those who decided to accept the offer did so on the basis that they would be working in Newcastle West by the end of 2006.

In the decentralisation update of March 2006 the date for the final move to Newcastle West was pushed out to early 2007. The subsequent decentralisation update in October 2006 stated that work was scheduled to commence early in 2007, with a projected completion date of the final quarter of 2008. It transpires that in December 2006 Limerick County Council raised queries on the planning application and these have further delayed commencement of construction of the building in Newcastle West. As of today, replies to these queries appear to be outstanding.

In July 2006, the Newcastle West bound staff were relocated for training purposes to temporary accommodation in Estuary House, Henry Street, Limerick, in advance of the final move which was scheduled to take place in early 2007. Training is now complete. Owing to the delay in the project, many requests have been made to the Revenue Commissioners to have temporary accommodation provided in Newcastle West. The staff in question are located in the west Limerick area and some have moved to west Limerick in the expectation that the move would have been completed by this stage. It is understandable that Revenue employees have formed an action committee as they are extremely irate with the long delay in the process.

Some time ago, the Minister of State had a hoarding erected on the old council building in Newcastle West and arranged a photo call with Progressive Democrats Party colleagues. None of those who featured in the resulting photograph is from west Limerick. Other parties were not informed but the event clearly amounted to good public relations from the Minister of State's point of view.

If the Revenue Commissioners have informed the Minister of State that they are unable to find a temporary premises in Newcastle West, I assure him I will find a premises suitable for Revenue staff. The delay in this project is grossly unjust and unfair. We want action.

I hope I will not be given the customary bland response describing the history of decentralisation because I am only interested in Newcastle West, the town in which I live. I hope the Minister of State's response will give me some positive news to give to the individuals who met last night to discuss the delay in the project. I fully appreciate and empathise with their impatience.