Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of personnel who, on applying for promotion in his Department since January 2004, have been required to sign an agreement that they are willing to decentralise; how many of them refused to sign the agreement; if this impacted on their promotion or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4072/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's decentralisation programme for the Civil Service and public service, my Department's headquarter sections and the social welfare appeals office are scheduled to re-locate to six locations, Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda. In addition, the Combat Poverty Agency and Comhairle, which operate under the aegis of my Department, are scheduled to re-locate to Monaghan and Drogheda, respectively, under the programme.

To date, no employee in my Department has refused to sign an agreement on assignment or when offered promotion. Since January 2004, five employees have been requested on assignment to sign an agreement that they are willing to decentralise to a provincial location in accordance with the decentralisation programme. Four of the assignments were within the grade of specialist IT posts, carrying an allowance, which are designated for decentralisation to Drogheda. Three of these were from a public appointments service, PAS, interdepartmental panel and one was from an internal departmental competition. The fifth assignment was on promotion from a PAS interdepartmental panel to a post which is also due to re-locate to Drogheda under the programme. Each of these employees signed the undertaking.

Three employees have indicated they were unable to participate in competition because of the requirement to agree to re-locate in the event of their being offered promotion as a result of the competition.