John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Finance the situation regarding the decentralisation of the Ordnance Survey Office to Dungarvan, County Waterford; if the site has been acquired by the Office of Public Works; if an advanced unit is being planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36075/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the decentralisation programme, it is intended that 210 posts of Ordnance Survey Ireland will decentralise to Dungarvan, County Waterford. Initial data from the central applications facility indicate that while 15 staff of Ordnance Survey Ireland have applied to decentralise to Dungarvan, there are a further 47 expressions of interest in decentralising to Dungarvan, Ordnance Survey Ireland, by civil servants.

In accordance with the requirements set out in the decentralisation implementation group's progress report of June 2005, all organisations, including Ordnance Survey Ireland, not previously identified as early mover organisations are now in the process of preparing a deeper iteration of their original decentralisation implementation plan. This more detailed plan will include material on all issues to be addressed in terms of people, property and business planning. The matter of an advance unit is being considered by Ordnance Survey Ireland in the context of this report.

I understand from the Office of Public Works that agreement has been reached on terms for the purchase of a town centre site for Ordnance Survey Ireland in Dungarvan. Contracts for sale have been received from the vendor and are being processed by the Chief State Solicitor's office.