Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has requested officials to monitor closely the movement of those affected by the decentralisation process; the number of officials who transfer within or leave the public service during decentralisation; the reason for these transfers and departures; if he will quantify the effect of various parts of the public service in terms of efficiency of these transfers and departures; if he will document all issues arising from decentralisation for each affected agency; if he will quantify the effect of these issues on efficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13386/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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When the new decentralisation programme was announced by my predecessor, he appointed a decentralisation implementation group to implement it and drive the process forward. The group's terms of reference include the examination of how decentralisation might enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service.

In its report of March 2004, the implementation group recommended that each participating organisation submit an implementation plan addressing all of the business issues which would impact on the organisation during the relocation programme. Subsequently, in its July 2004 report, the group reported that the overall standard of the implementation plans submitted was good and requested that updated versions be produced including appropriate risk mitigation strategies.

The latest versions of the participating organisations' implementation plans are being received at various dates during 2005. In preparing these plans, all organisations have the benefit of detailed information from the central applications facility which was set up to receive applications from civil and public servants to participate in the relocation programme. All organisations now have details of the staff members in each organisation who wish to relocate with the organisation, the names and grades of staff who wish to leave the organisation to relocate with another employer and the names or grades of civil and public servants who wish to transfer into each organisation to participate in the relocation programme.

As assignments and transfers of staff proceed, regular updates on staff assignments are provided to both my Department and the decentralisation implementation group. This information on overall staff movements will provide an ongoing input into the work of the implementation group.

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Finance if he continues to maintain that there is absolutely no link between choosing to work in a decentralised location and the probability of being promoted in the civil or public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13387/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As I outlined to the House in my answers to similar questions on 3 March 2005, promotion and recruitment are key elements of the Government's decentralisation programme. I refer the Deputy to my earlier reply which set out the general position on this matter.

In accordance with the recommendations of the decentralisation implementation group, recruitment and promotion practices and procedures must be revised to allow Departments and offices to secure sufficient staff to allow them discharge their functions in their new locations. Clearly, where a promotion vacancy arises for a post which is being decentralised as part of the Government's programme, it is entirely reasonable for the employing Department to ask staff accepting that promotion to agree to move with that post.

As I said last month, discussions are continuing between the management and the Civil Service unions with a view to agreeing new promotion and recruitment mechanisms to support implementation of the programme. It would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on these discussions. However, I will say that the Government wants to reach a reasonable agreement on these issues with the staff unions, that is, an agreement which supports the early and efficient implementation of the decentralisation programme and, at the same time, takes account of the very legitimate desire of staff remaining in Dublin to maintain opportunities for promotion.