Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of development specialists, currently working with Irish Aid, volunteering to decentralise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19576/06]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of senior development specialists, currently working with Irish Aid, volunteering to decentralise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19575/06]

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of principal development specialists, currently working with Irish Aid, volunteering to decentralise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19574/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 134 and 146 together.

There are 3 categories of Specialists employed by Irish Aid: Principal Development Specialists, Senior Development Specialists, and Development Specialists.

Three Principal Development Specialists serve in Irish Aid headquarters in Dublin. None of the three has applied to decentralise to Limerick.

There are twelve Senior Development Specialists in Irish Aid headquarters. None of the twelve has applied to decentralise to Limerick. Two Senior Development Specialists originally applied to decentralise to Limerick, but subsequently withdrew their applications.

Finally, there are nine Development Specialist posts in headquarters. Five Development Specialists are scheduled to decentralise. Of these, four commenced employment since the announcement of the decentralisation programme in December 2003, and one applied via the Central Applications Facility.

Discussions are ongoing with representatives of the Specialists, with their union IMPACT, and with the Department of Finance about the issues involved in decentralisation which also, of course, have a wider Civil Service dimension. It would be my hope that a greater number of Specialists will, in time, volunteer to decentralise to Limerick.