Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Finance the progress to date in respect of targets announced in budget 2004 in respect of decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2502/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The two reports of the decentralisation implementation group, DIG, dated 31 March 2004 and 30 July 2004, provide detailed accounts of the progress made in implementing the decentralisation programme announced last December. An analysis of the applications registered with the central applications facility by 7 September 2004 has also been published. I also refer the Deputy to the presentations made to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service on 6 October 2004 by the chair of the implementation group, the CEO of the public appointments service, PAS, and the Department of Finance. I am very pleased with the progress which has already been made in driving forward the implementation of the programme.

In addition, the DIG report published on 24 November 2004 contains proposals on those organisations-locations which, in the group's view, should be included in the first phase of moves and the DIG will report to me again in spring 2005 on progress in regard to implementation of the programme. The group will also deal in that report with the locations and organisations not covered in the November 2004 report.