Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date of the decentralisation of the Health and Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2603/07]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 1090: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the timetable for the completion of the decentralisation of the Health and Safety Authority; the number of staff employed by the authority; the number of the staff that have volunteered for decentralisation; the number of staff from the authority who are to be transferred to other Departments; the number of staff expected to be hired for the purpose of working at the decentralised location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1275/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 1090 together.

The Health and Safety Authority currently has a sanctioned staffing complement of 185 sanctioned posts, of which 110 are due to move to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. To date a total of 62 people (11 HSA staff, 41 Civil Servants, 10 Public Servants) have expressed an interest through the Central Application Facility (CAF) to transfer to Thomastown.

The Authority has been advised by the Office of Public Works (OPW) that as the Thomastown site procurement process is in its final stages, the current estimated timeline for availability for occupancy is late 2008/early 2009.

On the basis of the most recent return from the CAF, 13 staff of the Authority applied to move to other Government Departments/Offices. No estimate of the number of staff expected to be hired for the decentralised location has been made.

The Authority established an interim office in Kilkenny city in August 2006. 15 staff have re-located to that office in anticipation of moving to Thomastown.