Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the process of decentralisation of each agency under the vote of his Department; the number of staff in each agency who have, to date, applied for decentralisation; the number of those that have been decentralised in each agency; the number required to be decentralised for each agency under his Department's decentralisation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32064/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Four of the Agencies under the aegis of my Department are due to decentralise as follows:

FÁS is to move 383 posts to Birr, Co. Offaly; Enterprise Ireland is to move 292 posts to Shannon; The Health and Safety Authority is to move 110 posts to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, and The National Standards Authority of Ireland is to move 132 posts to Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

My Department continues to provide advice and support to each of the four Agencies in progressing their decentralisation programmes and there is a dedicated Agency Decentralisation Committee to drive the process forward. In addition, I am satisfied that each Agency is fully engaged in the process and taking all of the relevant steps to advance their decentralisation plans.

In outlining the current Agency position on decentralisation, it must be remembered that CAF data is based on "priority first preference" applications.

FÁS.

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, FÁS is due to transfer its head office including some 383 posts to Birr, County Offaly. To date, two of these posts have decentralised. To date, a total of 102 FAS staff have expressed an interest in relocating to Birr, broken down as follows:

26 FAS staff have volunteered to move (outside of CAF)

6 FAS staff have signed up through the CAF

34 New Entrants have signed contracts with the relocation clause

36 Promoted staff have signed contracts with the relocation clause, however following industrial action these cases will be examined by the parties in due course.

I understand that the number of applications received from within the civil and public service, amounts to 67, thus giving an overall total of 169 persons.

Enterprise Ireland.

The Government has decided that the Headquarters of Enterprise Ireland, including some 292 posts, will relocate to Shannon as part of the Decentralisation programme. To date none of these posts have relocated to Shannon.

The Central Applications Facility indicates that 19 Enterprise Ireland staff have applied for decentralisation to Enterprise Ireland in Shannon. Of these, 15 are based in Dublin and 4 are based outside Dublin. I understand that the number of applications received from within the civil and public service, including my Department, amounts to 33, thus giving a total overall of 52 persons.

Health and Safety Authority.

The Health and Safety Authority is to move 110 posts to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. To date a total of 62 people (11 HSA staff, 41 Civil Servants, 10 Public Servants) have expressed an interest in transferring to Thomastown. The Authority has been advised by OPW that as the site procurement is in the final stages, the current timeline for availability for occupancy is late 2008.

In advance of decentralising to Thomastown, in August 2006 the Authority established an interim office in Kilkenny city. Twelve staff, including staff recruited for the REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) strategy, have recently relocated to that office in advance of moving to Thomastown. In addition, future staff, who will be recruited for the REACH strategy, will also be based in Thomastown. All staff that move in the interim to the Kilkenny office will transfer to Thomastown when the premises there are completed.

NSAI.

The National Standards Authority of Ireland, with a total of 132 staff, is to be relocated to Arklow. To date none of these posts have relocated to Arklow. The latest available CAF figures show a total of 107 first preference priority applications for Arklow from the wider public sector subject to the decentralisation programme. The number of staff in NSAI who have, to date, applied for decentralisation is 11. The number required to be decentralised is 132.