Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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The announcement in December 2003 of the Government's decentralisation programme provided a significant boost to the entire country. We in County Cavan were delighted that our county town, Cavan town, was one of the seven towns selected for one of the main Departments. The news of the reallocation of the headquarters of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to Cavan town was welcomed by my colleagues on Cavan County Council and Cavan Town Council and was a major confidence boost to the town and county of Cavan and surrounding counties. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to my Oireachtas colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, the late county manager, Brian Johnston, and his officials, and Mr. Vincent Reynolds, chief executive officer, Cavan County Development Board, for their tremendous efforts in promoting Cavan town as a suitable location for decentralisation.

I am aware that a number of suitable sites for the location of the headquarters of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources have been examined. I am most anxious that a decision be made and a site selected to allow us progress in regard to the relocation of the Department to Cavan town as soon as possible. I ask the Minister of State to make contact with the Office of Public Works and get an immediate decision on the choice of site in the town. The county manager, and all his senior officials, are anxious to work as closely as possible with the Office of Public Works to facilitate the acquisition of a suitable site. Progress can and should be made without further delay.

I welcome the recent letter to the Minister of State, Deputy Smith, and myself from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, reiterating the Government's commitment to the earliest possible implementation of its full decentralisation programme. I urge the Minister of State to make contact with the Office of Public Works so that a site can be acquired and we can get on with relocating over 400 civil servants to Cavan town as soon as possible.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Wilson for raising the issue regarding Cavan town and its hinterland. I am pleased to address the House this evening about the Government's decentralisation programme, with particular regard to Cavan.

I wish to start by reiterating the Government's full commitment to the decentralisation programme. I assure the Senator that the Office of Public Works, is, as a matter of priority, moving forward proposals to finalise the acquisition of a suitable site for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in Cavan town. As I am sure the Senator knows well, the Office of Public Works is pressing ahead with the procurement of suitable sites for all the locations involved in the decentralisation programme.

As the Senator is no doubt aware, following the request for proposals for suitable sites or buildings, the OPW received in excess of 700 responses from landowners and developers throughout the country. These proposals were evaluated in a three-stranded framework as follows: first, an initial architectural assessment by the OPW architects; second, a valuation process of sites and buildings short-listed by the architects, undertaken by both the OPW and private sector valuers; and, third, an assessment by reference to the business needs and staff requirements of each decentralising Department or agency.

In regard to Cavan town, I can confirm that the OPW is very close to reaching a final decision on the best site option for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The OPW received in the order of 20 proposals for the town. A number of these proposals have been short-listed by the OPW architects and valuation reports have been completed on the land options concerned.

Also, the OPW is working with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on a detailed assessment of the business needs and technical requirements of the accommodation needed to meet the brief, with particular regard to the specialised requirements of the Geological Survey of Ireland.

In the meantime, the OPW has opened negotiations with a number of landowners in the town. Once the fine-tuning of the Department's space requirement is completed, the OPW will purchase the site that best meets the Department's brief in keeping with the standards for the selection set out in the first decentralisation implementation group report.

The main factors that will influence the OPW's decision on a site in Cavan are as follows: first, location, proximity to commercial, leisure and public facilities; second, size — the site must be capable of accommodating all of the Department's requirement for offices, support space, technical space and car-parking; third, value for money; fourth, appropriate zoning for development; and, fifth, access to a good quality road network and public transport.

I am glad to say that the decentralisation of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources headquarters will involve the transfer of some 388 positions to Cavan. To date, 176 persons have expressed an interest in transferring to Cavan through the central applications facility. I have no doubt that the number of applications for Cavan will increase as soon as the site purchase is completed and the indicative timetable for development of the site is published.

I can confirm that the acquisition of a suitable site for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in Cavan is being pursued and will be finalised as soon as possible. I am aware of the great interest Senator Wilson has shown in this topic and I assure him that his representations in this matter, which are ongoing, will be heeded and the matter progressed as quickly as possible.