Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 529: To ask the Minister for Finance the situation in respect of decentralisation; the number of decentralisation projects which have been established; the cost of same; the number of civil servants who will have transferred to decentralised locations by the end of 2005; the cost of same; the cost per acre of land acquired for Departments and semi-State bodies; and the cost of professional services such as legal and auctioneering fees in respect of each decentralised location. [25876/05]

Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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The OPW is currently in the process of procuring appropriate properties in the designated locations for the Departments and agencies involved in the Government's decentralisation programme. Property acquisition negotiations are completed or are significantly advanced at more than 20 locations. The total amount committed to date on site acquisition in these locations is approximately €35.7 million. The average cost per acre is in the region of €430,000.

In its most recent report of June 2005 the decentralisation implementation group gave indicative construction completion dates for Civil Service organisations and locations, commencing in 2006. However, a number of Departments and offices are likely to have advance parties in place before then. For example, the Department of Agriculture and Food has already transferred 50 staff under the decentralisation programme to Portlaoise and a further 50 staff will relocate there later this year. Garda headquarters is also planning to transfer around 50 staff to Thurles to populate a new Garda vetting unit later this year. The cost to date of professional services, including fees, site investigations etc. is €1.6 million.