Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 640: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the issues which have arisen following the risk analysis conducted on his Department's decentralisation programme; the way in which it is intended to address these issues; the projected cost of resolving these issues; the overall cost of his Department's decentralisation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31981/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department submitted implementation plans to the Decentralisation Implementation Group on the decentralisation of the Department's Dublin operations to four locations in the south east, Wexford, Waterford, New Ross and Kilkenny. These plans are also published on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.

The plans inter alia identify the risks attendant on the decentralisation process and measures which are proposed to address these. The main risks identified at this stage relate to loss of knowledge arising from the anticipated significant high turnover of staff in all Dublin based areas of the Department. A number of mitigation strategies are in place or are being developed to facilitate skills and knowledge transfer from existing staff to their replacements. These strategies include the recruitment of new staff as early as possible, the phased transfer of existing staff out of the Department, the implementation of a comprehensive training and development plan and making available updated work guidelines and process maps.

Other strategies will provide for the greater use of communication technologies such as intranet, e-mail and video conferencing to deal with the requirements of communication in a decentralised environment. Further risks may be identified as the implementation plans proceed through further iterations and mitigation strategies will be developed as additional information emerges about people, property and business issues. The overall costs of the decentralisation programme to my Department cannot be quantified at this stage, but will be agreed with the Department of Finance in the context of the Estimates process over the lifetime of the programme. The more significant costs arising, which are being borne by the Office of Public Works, involve the acquisition and fit-out of office accommodation.