Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the recent report by the Revenue Commissioners which identified high cost and loss of expertise as two effects of its relocation to Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18343/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the serious concerns expressed in the Revenue Commissioner's outline implementation for decentralisation about the impact of the scheme on their work, including high costs and potentially damaging loss of expertise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18295/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 106 together.

In the budget 2004 announcement on decentralisation, it was provided that the Revenue Commissioners would relocate staff to four locations, Athy, Kilrush, Listowel and Newcastle West. It was also announced that a future decision on the location of Revenue's ICT would be made, and this was subsequently identified as Kildare town.

Revenue's moves to Kilrush, Listowel and Newcastle West are included in first phase moves. The outline plan for these moves has been submitted to the decentralisation implementation group. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that significant progress is being made in the planning and organising of these moves.

The budget 2004 announcement recognised the importance of ICT systems in terms of service delivery and the need for particular care in managing the relocation of the services, and associated jobs, outside Dublin. The decentralisation implementation group in its report of 19 November 2004 recommended that individual implementation plans should be submitted to it after consultation with the Centre for Management and Organisation Development, CMOD, of my Department. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the outline implementation plan referred to is a draft plan for the decentralisation of ICT staff to Kildare submitted to the CMOD. The consultation between CMOD and the Revenue Commissioners is ongoing in relation to developing a final outline implementation plan.

The final outline plan will address the level of skills and experience and detail the consequences in terms of possible costs and staff replacement-training. It is quite appropriate and reasonable in my view in any such planning exercise to identify the risks and cost and to indicate the need to develop appropriate mitigation strategies. The decentralisation implementation group will consider Revenue's final outline implementation plan and any issues arising when it is finalised.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied with numbers of persons from within the State agencies which have indicated a willingness to decentralise with their agencies; and his views on the assessments from some of the agencies of the risk of damage to delivery of services. [18423/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I accept that the number of applications to the central applications facility, CAF, from the Civil Service are much better than those from the State agencies. Unlike the State agencies, the Civil Service has considerable previous experience of decentralisation and has a long tradition of interdepartmental transfers.

The decentralisation implementation group, DIG, asked that all organisations participating in the programme should prepare detailed implementation plans including risk mitigation plans. These plans were prepared and submitted to the group. In its July 2004 report, the group noted that the overall quality of the plans was good. In line with a recommendation in the implementation group's November 2004 report, each of the Departments and organisations scheduled as early movers has prepared a revised implementation plan detailing the steps that need to be taken in order to complete the moves to the new locations successfully. These have been submitted to the implementation group which has been examining them in detail. I am satisfied that this approach represents a realistic approach to risk identification and mitigation.