Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 1773: To ask the Minister for Defence the position of the decentralisation of his Department to Newbridge and the Army headquarters to the Curragh, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2367/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decision on decentralisation, announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget statement on 3 December 2003, provides for the transfer of all of my Department's Dublin based civil service staff to Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The number of staff to be relocated to Newbridge is 200. A total of 338 personnel, of which 60 are from within the Department, have opted to move to Newbridge. An additional 38 staff from outside my Department have been assigned to this Department from the Central Applications Facility for the purpose of relocating to Newbridge. Twenty-two members of staff who opted not to move to Newbridge have volunteered to transfer to other Government Departments that have units that are proposed for decentralisation, and some have already moved to their new Departments. Of the remaining personnel in my Department who have opted to remain in Dublin, nineteen have been reassigned.

The Office of Public Works is in advanced negotiations with Kildare County Council in relation to the acquisition of a site in Newbridge and a decision regarding the acquisition of the identified site in Newbridge is expected shortly. The tenders for the design and construction of the buildings in Newbridge were received by OPW on 24 October 2006 and 7 tenders are currently being evaluated. Once this site is acquired, I would anticipate that my Department will relocate to Newbridge by late 2008.

The Government decision also provides for the transfer of 300 Defence Forces Headquarters staff to the Curragh, Co Kildare. OPW conducted a briefing on 18 Dec 2006 in McKee Barracks, Dublin at which the chief architect of the OPW project team made a detailed presentation covering aspects of site location in the Curragh, building design and proposed access routes to the new building.

This project is a "client-led design and build" programme with a contract being placed for construction of the "shell and core" of the building and OPW then conducting full fit-out at the final stage.

The following is the current schedule of dates for the project:

Planning application — April 2007

Shell/core tender process complete — December 2007

Contract documents issued — Feb 2008

Shell/core contract (13 months) — complete Mar 2009

Fit-out — complete Dec 2009