Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the office or unit within his Department and associated unit that is due to be decentralised; the number of posts and staff in tabular form from each unit within his Department and associated agency who have chosen to decentralise with their parent organisation; and the number of people willing to move who have been assigned their new posts. [6671/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government decentralisation programme, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is required to relocate 250 posts to new offices in Carlow. The Department's Companies Registration Office, work permits unit, redundancy and insolvency payments section and employment rights enforcement bureau are relocating to Carlow. It is envisaged that information technology and service staff will be required in Carlow to support the business units listed above. I will give a breakdown of the number of people in each of the Department's internal units who have expressed an interest in relocating to the new offices in Carlow. These details are based on first preference and priority applications submitted to the central applications facility by 7 September 2004. Applications have been received from 17 people in the companies registration office, one person in the work permits unit, four people in the redundancy and insolvency payments section and eight people in the employment rights enforcement bureau. Some 11 internal staff in departmental offices in Dublin and 11 staff in Kilkenny, all of whom are not based in decentralising units, have also applied to relocate to Carlow. In addition, 12 staff have been recruited from various Public Appointments Service open panels on the condition that they will decentralise to Carlow with the Department.

I will outline the position in respect of the agencies under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Some 19 staff of Enterprise Ireland have chosen to decentralise with the agency, but nobody has been assigned a new post with the agency to date. Nine staff of FÁS have chosen to decentralise with the body and 53 people have been assigned a new post with that body to date. Eleven staff of the National Standards Authority of Ireland have chosen to decentralise with the authority and 11 people have been assigned a new post with that authority to date. Nine staff of the Health and Safety Authority have chosen to decentralise with the authority and 26 people have been assigned a new post with that authority to date.