Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on whether an all party review of decentralisation is required in the national interest to conform more closely with the recommendations of the National Spatial Strategy in view of the aims of the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 and its targeted funding for the nine regional gateways; his views on the potential loss of expertise and corporate knowledge as a result of the Government's decentralisation programme; his further views on whether this measure will gain sufficient applicants to meet decentralisation targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3867/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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First of all I would like to state the Government's full commitment to the Decentralisation Programme and to re-iterate that this Government's policy on the programme is unchanged.

The National Spatial Strategy (NSS), which was launched in 2002, embodies a 20-year spatial framework to achieve more balanced regional development in Ireland. The vision underlying the NSS is a better balance of social, economic, physical development and population growth between regions. The National Development Plan will particularly focus investment around the NSS, especially around the network of the nine Gateways identified in the Strategy. It will also support the concept of an urban-rural partnership by linking the focus on the Gateways with support for other urban centres and rural areas.

As I have previously pointed out in this House, a wide range of factors were taken into account and balanced against each other in selecting the locations for the new decentralised offices. These included the need to achieve a fit with the National Spatial Strategy, the existence of transport links and the locations of existing decentralised offices. The decentralisation programme will have significant positive effects in fostering balanced regional development. The impact of decentralised offices will be quite significant in many of the smaller towns in which they will be located and their catchment areas. As clearly stated in the NDP, the decentralisation process is a direct instrument that will strengthen, in particular, the hub, smaller town and rural structure and complement the key and dynamic role to be played by the Gateways.

To date over 10,600 have applied to the Central Applications Facility and despite consistent negative commentary, no political spokesperson has said that any town or county should be dropped from the programme.

In relation to the implications of Decentralisation for delivery of service, the terms of reference for the Decentralisation Implementation Group explicitly included the examination of how Decentralisation might enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service. To this end the Group asked that all organisations participating in the programme should prepare detailed implementation plans including not just risk assessment but also mitigation strategies. A wide range of issues, including the potential loss of expertise and corporate knowledge, are addressed in these plans. The plans were prepared and submitted to the Implementation Group which subsequently reported that the overall quality of the plans was good. Since then those organisations listed as early movers have prepared further updated versions of their implementation plans.

The Implementation Group has met with the Secretaries General of decentralising Departments and is satisfied that the implementation of the programme is being managed in a professional and carefully planned manner. The Group is currently meeting with the Chief Executives of a number of State Agencies to discuss the planning framework in place, to assess progress to date and to hear about the challenges arising and steps proposed to address these challenges.

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. 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.

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.