Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 490: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position with regard to the decentralisation of his Department to Wexford; if a site has been acquired; the number of staff who have indicated their willingness to move to Wexford; when the new headquarters will begin construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39064/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is co-operating with the Department of Finance, the decentralisation implementation group and the Office of Public Works to ensure the Government's decentralisation programme is implemented efficiently and effectively. A decentralisation implementation team has been established to oversee the arrangements for the transfer of the Department's Dublin-based staff to four locations in the south east, including Wexford.

Implementation plans, setting out the issues to be addressed in implementing the decentralisation programme for this Department, have been submitted to the decentralisation implementation group. These plans are also published on my Department's website at www.environ.ie

At this stage, a total of 83 staff within the Civil Service, including some from my Department, have confirmed their availability to move to Wexford. A total of 29 of these are now in the Department and the process of agreeing arrangements for the early transfer of the others to the Department has commenced. My Department has now also contacted the Public Appointments Service for details of other applicants who have applied for Wexford as a second or subsequent preference. With regard to property requirements, the Office of Public Works is evaluating site options at present.