Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of labour inspectors currently operational; the number of inspectors to be allocated to each regional centre; the number of the existing labour inspectors to be decentralised and the number of these that have agreed to decentralisation; and the overall cost of the relocation of labour inspectorates to the regional centres. [14081/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The number of Labour Inspectors will be progressively increased from 31 at present (two of whom are on extended leave) to 90 by end-2007 with the expectation that assignments will be made from the second quarter of 2007. An additional 7 new inspectors will take up appointment on the 16th April. The necessary arrangements and selection processes for the remainder are being progressed at present.

The number of inspectors to be allocated to each regional office is set out in the following tabular statement.

Existing Inspectors are currently considering decentralisation options. When material in relation to the number of inspectors decentralising is available, I will arrange to have the information made available to the Deputy.

Accommodation for the regional offices to be located in Cork, Sligo and Shannon is currently being sought. Inspectors based in the South East region will be accommodated in the National Employment Rights Authority head office in Carlow while Dublin based inspectors will be accommodated in their existing Dublin office.

Details of the overall costs of setting up the inspectorate on a regional basis are not available at this stage. It is very early in the process and as actual office accommodation has not yet been secured in three of the locations, it is not possible to provide an accurate cost or an estimate of the overall cost at this time.