Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Finance the latest information available from the central applications facility in respect of applications from civil servants and other public servants currently located in Dublin who wish to transfer to new locations outside of Dublin under the Government's decentralisation programme; the way in which this compares with the Government target of 10,300; if agreement has been reached with all public service unions regarding promotional opportunities for persons who chose to move and those who opt to remain where they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39252/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is pleased with the numbers of people who have applied to decentralise. Approximately 10,600 applications have been received so far and new applications are being received each week. Of the total number of CAF applications received to date 5,600 are from civil and public servants located in Dublin. Since the closing of the priority application period on 7 September 2004, an average of more than 100 new applications have been received each month over the past 14 months. We have no reason to believe this rate of application will reduce as the CAF remains open and continues to accept further new applications.

With regard to promotional opportunities, discussions with the unions representing general service grades in the Civil Service are at an advanced stage, while discussions with the unions representing professional and technical personnel are also ongoing. The decentralisation implementation group, in its June report, reinforced the responsibility of management within the various state agencies to progress the implementation of Government policy in this regard. It went on to state progress should be monitored by the responsible Department and requested that the next and deeper iteration of each agency's implementation plan be prepared. I understand that agencies are preparing these plans at present. My Department has recently reached agreement with the unions representing general service civil servants on arrangements for those remaining in Dublin.