Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of civil servants within his Department who have transferred to offices outside Dublin under the decentralisation programme to date; the percentage of those who had a previous transfer within a two year period of the decentralisation transfer; the number of those people who transferred from a non-Dublin office to a Dublin office in the initial transfer; the average time spent in the Dublin office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6691/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the Development Cooperation Directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs will decentralise to Limerick. This is scheduled to take place during the second half of 2007 and will involve the relocation to Limerick of 124 posts.

At present, 54 posts in the Directorate are filled by officers who have signalled their intention to decentralise to Limerick. Five of these officers transferred from provincial locations to the Directorate's offices in Dublin.

In addition to these 54 posts, a further 15 officers who are serving elsewhere in the Department, mostly abroad, will be taking up duty in Irish Aid in advance of the move. Furthermore, 19 officers from other Departments who have applied to decentralise to Limerick, most of whom are currently based in provincial locations, will transfer to the Department closer to the date of the move. Once these officers take up duty in Irish Aid, 88 posts (71% of the 124 posts scheduled to move) will be in place.

In addition, a small number of staff at entry grades will be recruited for direct assignment to Limerick in the months preceding the move.

In order to help effect the smoothest possible transfer to Limerick, plans are in train for an advance party move involving approximately 50 staff members which is scheduled for late May 2007.

Sixteen Dublin based officers of this Department have transferred to other Departments with a view to moving to a provincial location under the Decentralisation Programme. Most of these officers initially transferred to Dublin- based offices of the respective decentralising Departments.