Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the sections of his Department which are due to transfer to Cavan; the intended timetable for such a move; the sections of his Department which are expected to remain in Dublin or to transfer to other locations; and the number of officials within his Department who have indicated their willingness to move to Cavan to date. [18014/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's decentralisation programme provides for the relocation of the Department in its entirety. This involves the relocation of the Department's Headquarters to Cavan involving the broad sectoral areas of Communications, Broadcasting, Energy and Natural Resources. The Seafood and Coastal Zone Management functions will relocate to Clonakilty.

The Department's move to Cavan is currently scheduled to take place in 2009 as outlined by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG). Arrangements to have staff in place and operational in line with that schedule will continue to be progressed.

I am pleased to confirm to the House that, having engaged with my department in examining a range of options, the Office of Public Works (OPW) completed the purchase of a prime site in Cavan on Tuesday last, 9 May 2006. We will shortly begin drawing up of detailed specifications for the planned facilities. In the meantime, plans to relocate a number of functions and staff in Cavan this year are well advanced.

Thirty-eight staff members of my Department have, to date, indicated their willingness to relocate to Cavan. In addition, eleven staff members from other Departments/Offices have accepted formal transfer offers to decentralise to Cavan.