Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 478: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 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. [6674/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that my Department's Dublin based operations are transferring in full. The headquarters will be relocated to Knock Airport while some 13 posts will transfer to Na Forbacha in Galway.

The seven staff mentioned have been relocated to Na Forbacha.

The move to Knock Airport is scheduled for completion by the end of 2007. It is also planned to relocate up to 70 posts in advance of the main move subject, inter alia, to the availability of suitable temporary accommodation in the general area. The Office of Public Works is currently seeking to source suitable accommodation and I hope that this advance move can take place from mid 2006 and be completed by end-2006.

As the first table shows, 28 members of staff have indicated a willingness to transfer to Knock Airport. Additional staff are transferring into my Department from other Dublin Departments for decentralisation. In addition a large number of applicants who are currently decentralised wish to transfer to my Department. With all of those staff, and with the adoption of appropriate HR and risk management responses, I believe that I will have sufficient applicants to fill all posts, both for the advance move and for the next phase of my Department's decentralisation programme, that is, the relocation to the new permanent headquarters building.

Foras na Gaeilge has recently submitted a draft implementation plan both to myself and to Mr. David Hanson, MP, Minister with responsibility for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland. Pending consideration and finalisation of the plan, it would not be appropriate to provide any details at this stage.

Pobal — formerly ADM — will be transferring some 40 posts to Clifden, County Galway. The first phase of this programme, the transfer of the management of the rural social scheme, RSS, involving 10 posts, has been completed, while a second phase involving a similar number will be completed in April.