Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the state of the Enterprise Ireland decentralisation programme to Shannon; if Enterprise Ireland's new headquarters in Shannon are finalised; the number of Enterprise Ireland's employees who have indicated a willingness to decentralise; the percentage of the workforce in that regard; the number of civil servants from other Departments who have indicated a willingness to transfer to Enterprise Ireland; when it is envisaged that the transfer of headquarters will occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33603/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On foot of a request from the Department of Finance, Enterprise Ireland has been asked by my Department to provide, by the Department of Finance's deadline of 1 December 2005, a revised implementation plan in respect of the decentralisation of the agency's headquarters, including 300 staff, to Shannon. The agency has identified the posts to be transferred and these are advertised as part of the central applications facility, CAF.

The most immediate implementation step for Enterprise Ireland is to provide for a new headquarters building, designed to meet the business needs of the organisation. Working closely with the OPW, a preferred site, a 13-acre site owned by Shannon Development, has been identified. The site has been valued and a feasibility study carried out. When approval is received to proceed with its accommodation arrangements in relation to decentralisation, Enterprise Ireland will be in a position to undertake a detailed planning process in relation to the issues involved.

In respect of numbers, the most recent figures released show that 19 existing employees in Enterprise Ireland have indicated their willingness to transfer to Shannon. This represents over 6% of the total decentralising workforce of 300 required. The number of applications received from within the civil and public service, including my Department, amount to 33 or 11% of the total number required.

It is too early to comment definitively on a timescale for the transfer of Enterprise Ireland's headquarters to Shannon. The factors of significance in this regard will be the acquisition of property and the level of interest in the Shannon location expressed by CAF applicants.