Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food, in regard to her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 4 May 2005 regarding her Department's plans for decentralisation, if no staff will physically move from Dublin to Portlaoise if the positions will be filled by staff already[i] in situ[/i] who have been freed up as a result of the introduction of the single payments scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17396/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department located 50 additional staff in Portlaoise as an initial step in decentralisation and to deal with work arising under the new single payment scheme. This brought the total number of staff in the office to over 200. Currently, work for another 60 staff is being transferred to Portlaoise and is being undertaken in the main by staff in that office who are being freed up as a result of the rationalisation of income support schemes. My Department aims to transfer work and a further 50 staff to Portlaoise by early 2006 in ongoing implementation of the Government decision on decentralisation.