Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 472: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn, despite her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 379 of 19 April 2005, to the fact that plans to move the beef carcase classification unit to Portlaoise are apparently being pursued within her Department; if she will clarify the position regarding decentralisation in regard to this specific unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23730/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's decentralisation programme my Department's Dublin headquarters will be transferred to Portlaoise, my Department's laboratories in Cork and Limerick will move to Macroom and my Department's local offices in Cork city and Mallow will move to Fermoy.

No other regional or local offices of my Department are included in the decentralisation programme. However, as part of a re-organisation of the livestock, beef and sheepmeat division of my Department, the relocation of the beef carcase classification work to Portlaoise, involving five posts, is currently being considered. Also under consideration is the relocation to Portlaoise of the related livestock breeding schemes, currently based in my Department's Cavan office. These moves are aimed at bringing greater efficiency and co-ordination to the Department work in these areas.