Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the significant changes which have been implemented by his Department to date in 2005 in delivering the national spatial strategy; and the costs, benefits and savings that have accrued. [34081/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Government published the national spatial strategy, in November 2002. The strategy is a 20 year strategic planning framework for more balanced regional development. My Department was involved in the development of the strategy and is represented on the interdepartmental committee established in May 2003 by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to oversee its implementation. My Department's service delivery infrastructure is in line with NSS goals for the development of regional and local services. Income, employment and family support services are administered by my Department from ten head offices, five of which are located outside Dublin, and a network of 135 local offices around the country supported by regional management teams in ten geographic regions. Under the current Government decentralisation programme, further decentralisation is planned to six locations. These are Sligo, Drogheda, Carrick-on-Shannon, Carrickmacross, Buncrana and Donegal.

My Department's strategies in relation to the regionalisation, localisation and decentralisation of services over the years have been shaped by a similar rationale to that which has shaped the NSS. Providing access to quality customer services for people in their own locality and job opportunities for people who wish to live and work outside Dublin have been important considerations in the policy approach. Costs or savings arising in the implementation of such plans by my Department are not identified as being attributable to the NSS. The ongoing development of my Department's plans in these areas will continue to take account of the recommendations contained in the NSS to bring about greater balance in patterns of economic and social development throughout the country.