Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the numbers of staff in his Department who have indicated willingness to decentralise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35893/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, excluding the National Archives, i.e. approximately 130 posts, will be transferring to Killarney under the Government's Decentralisation programme. Nine members of staff working in my Department indicated that they wished to relocate to Killarney. However, overall the number of applications received under the Central Applications Facility (CAF) exceeds the numbers required for most of the grades. Including the nine internal staff, a total of 59 officers who will be relocating to Killarney are now in place in my Department.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department was designated by the Decentralisation Implementation Group as one of the "early mover" Departments. The tender process for the permanent building was completed some months ago and OPW selected the preferred bidder — PJ Hegarty & Sons. Planning permission has been granted. I am advised by OPW that construction of the new building is expected to commence before the end of the year and the anticipated completion date is early 2008.

In the meantime, an advance group of 42 staff relocated to temporary accommodation at Fossa, Killarney in September last. The temporary premises is capable of accommodating up to 70 staff and following a "bedding down" period, consideration will be given to transferring further units of my Department on a phased basis, ultimately leading to the relocation of 130 staff to the permanent accommodation in early 2008.