Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht 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. [4074/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware my Department has offices both in Dublin and in a decentralised location in Na Forbacha in Galway, and will decentralise to Knock Airport under the decentralisation programme.

No persons in my Department have been required to sign, on applying for internal promotion, an agreement that they are willing to decentralise. The other questions raised by the Deputy do not, therefore, arise. Only one internal promotion was made early in 2004 in my Department's Dublin office and the candidates applying for that position were not required to sign up for decentralisation as the vacancy arose before the announcement of decentralisation. Subsequent internal promotions in 2004 were all in Na Forbacha offices.

For the sake of completeness, I should add that four officers have accepted appointments to my Department's Dublin office on the understanding that they are willing to decentralise. These appointments are as a result of either open or interdepartmental competitions.