Written answers

Wednesday, 7 February 2007

Department of Finance

Decentralisation Programme

9:00 pm

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 121: To ask the Minister for Finance the latest information available from the Central Applications Facility in respect of applications from civil servants and other public servants currently located in Dublin who wish to transfer to new locations outside of Dublin under the Government's decentralisation programme; the way this compares with the Government target of 10,300; if agreement has been reached with all public service unions regarding promotional opportunities for those who chose to move and those who opt to remain where they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3897/07]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 192: To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the decentralisation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4045/07]

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 192 together.

A progress report by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) was submitted to me and published on 4th October last. The Group reported that implementation of the Decentralisation Programme is progressing satisfactorily.

Over ten thousand six hundred civil and public servants have applied to relocate under the Programme. Of these, approximately 5,600 or 53% are currently based in Dublin. The Central Applications Facility remains open and continues to receive applications.

All Departments and Offices have produced implementation plans setting out the detailed arrangements they are putting in place to plan for relocation while also ensuring business continuity and effective delivery of services to customers. The plans are comprehensive and their preparation involved detailed reviews of business processes as well as the logistics of the move. Departments and Offices are taking a prudent approach in relation to assessing the risks involved and the adoption of appropriate measures to manage business risk.

Discussions have concluded on a number of human resource and industrial relations matters and are being progressed on other issues. At the end of December 2006, over 2,400 staff had been assigned to decentralising posts. Some 700 of these are currently in place, in 15 new locations, while the remainder are being trained in advance of decentralisation to a new location, as soon as accommodation becomes available.

It is envisaged that by the end of 2007 public services will be delivered from 33 of the decentralisation towns with approximately 2,000 staff transferred. The precise numbers moving within that time frame will depend on the availability of property as well as timeframes for completion of fit out and installation of necessary ICT (information communications technology) and telecommunication cabling and equipment.

Across the public service, recruitment and promotion practices generally are being managed in a way which facilitates the achievement of the Decentralisation Programme in an efficient manner. Agreement has been reached with the Civil Service unions representing general service staff that all interdepartmental promotions will be made on the basis of the appointee agreeing to move to a post in a decentralising unit, Department or Office. Where an organisation is moving in full, all internal promotions will include a decentralisation condition in the 52 week period prior to the move. Where an organisation is moving in part, 50% of all internal promotions will include a decentralisation condition in the 52 week period prior to the move taking place. These arrangements allow for a proportion of all promotions arising in Civil Service general service posts in the normal course to have a decentralisation condition.

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. However, there is a need to balance the business needs of the organisation in furthering its relocation objective with the needs of staff remaining in Dublin. In these circumstances promotions policy must take account of the reality of Decentralisation. It is my strong view that these issues can only be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.

A facility is being operated through the Public Appointments Service to allow Civil Service general service staff remaining in Dublin to express preferences in relation to the organisations to which they would like to transfer. This will be an ongoing process throughout the transition phase of the Programme. Progress in this priority area is being monitored in co-operation with Departments and the relevant unions to ensure that they are operating efficiently.

The property programme is well advanced. The OPW conducts a review of the property timeframes for permanent accommodation on an ongoing basis. Based on its experience to date in relation to timeframes for property selection and acquisition, brief and design issues, tendering periods, planning issues and contractual arrangements, it has provided an updated schedule of the likely availability of accommodation.

This schedule allows for the planned movement of up to 6,800 staff in the next three years in line with the timeframes set out in the June 2005 report of the DIG. The delivery time for some locations will be later than originally projected, however, leading to a greater concentration of moves in 2009 rather than in 2008. Matters outside the control of the OPW, which could give rise to delay, will continue to be monitored and mitigating action taken where possible.

There are of course elements of the programme which continue to present challenges. These include the position of professional and technical personnel who wish to remain in Dublin, the State agency sector and ICT areas.

Discussions are ongoing with the unions representing professional and technical staff in the Civil Service on the range of industrial relations issues arising, including promotion arrangements and placing of staff who wish to remain in Dublin.

Having already met with a number of Secretaries General, the Decentralisation Implementation Group is currently meeting with some of the Chief Executives of State Agencies to discuss their Implementation Plans, the planning framework in place, to assess progress to date and to hear about the challenges arising and steps proposed by the agencies to address them.

In relation to ICT issues, a protocol has been prepared by my Department to address the filling of ICT posts and a sub-group of General Council has been established to move the process forward. The Centre for Management and Organisational Development (CMOD) has already concluded a pilot programme of ICT certified training and is currently developing tender proposals to source trainers to provide such certified training for new entrants to the ICT area. These initiatives will assist in ensuring a pipeline of skilled ICT staff in the Civil Service.

The issue of managed data centre services was also addressed by the DIG. The OPW has convened a working group to determine (i) the feasibility of procuring private sector versus State owned accommodation for data centres, including a cost benefit analysis of the options, and (ii) the logistics, costs, financing and staffing implications of State managed/operated data centres. It is expected that this work will be completed later in the Spring.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.