Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Finance if an estimate has been undertaken of the number of civil or public servants, who do not wish to relocate, who will be surplus to requirements as a result of their jobs being transferred to other locations under the Government's decentralisation programme; the jobs that will be provided for these personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39247/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Because of the nature of the programme it is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of public servants who do not wish to relocate as individual circumstances are open to change and therefore figures can fluctuate. The picture will become clearer over the coming period as staff are assigned to decentralising organisations.

The primary mechanism for placing civil servants who are in posts which are due to decentralise but wish to remain in Dublin is by way of bilateral transfer. As staff, in organisations who are remaining in Dublin, who have applied to decentralise continue to be transferred into decentralising organisations, the posts they vacate become available to those wishing to remain in Dublin.

In addition, the Public Appointments Service has commenced the operation of a system which will match Dublin based posts with people wishing to remain in Dublin. Any decentralising organisation which anticipates that it will have staff wishing to remain in Dublin who cannot be placed within the organisation will engage with the Public Appointments Service in the placement of these individuals. The precise operation of these arrangements is currently being discussed with the civil service unions to improve their overall effectiveness. The aim is to achieve a close alignment between the assignment of staff to Dublin posts and the readiness of Departments to release staff at particular grade levels.

Negotiations are ongoing with the unions representing professional & technical staff in the Civil Service on this issue.

The position in relation to the State Agencies is of course more complex. The Government has always said that this is a voluntary Programme. Any staff member wishing to remain in Dublin will be accommodated with a public service job in Dublin. It remains my view that suitable arrangements meeting the needs of these staff of can be arrived at through dialogue and negotiations.