Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 135: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the latest information available from the central applications facility in respect of applications from civil servants and from 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 persons who chose to move and those who opt to remain where they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17176/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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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 (CAF) remains open and continues to receive applications. My Department has requested an update of the CAF data from the Public Appointments Service and will make this available when received.

Discussions have concluded on a number of human resource and industrial relations matters and are being progressed on other issues. At the end of April 2007, over 2,700 staff had been assigned to decentralising posts. It is expected that over 1,000 will be in place this summer in over 20 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 primary mechanism for placing civil servants who are in posts which are due to decentralise but wish to remain in Dublin is by way of bilateral transfer. As staff whose organisations are remaining in Dublin, but who themselves have applied to relocate, continue to be transferred into decentralising organisations, the posts they vacate become available to those wishing to remain in Dublin.

In addition, the Public Appointments Service operates a system which will match Dublin based posts with people wishing to remain in Dublin. Any decentralising organisation which anticipates that it will have staff wishing to remain in Dublin who cannot be placed within the organisation will engage with the Public Appointments Service in the placement of these individuals.

Following detailed discussions with the civil service unions, the precise operation of these arrangements was amended earlier this year to improve their overall effectiveness. The aim is to achieve a close alignment between the assignment of staff to Dublin posts and the readiness of Departments to release staff at particular grade levels. In that context, Departments and Offices provide updates to the Public Appointments Service in relation to posts that require to be filled and staff that require to be placed through these arrangements. This will be an ongoing process throughout the transition phase of the Programme.

Discussions are ongoing with the unions representing professional & 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.

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 be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 136: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 18 October, 2006, the number of people who have indicated their desire to decentralise to Youghal in the Public Appointments Service and Valuation Office respectively; if decentralisation is on target for mid 2009; if the Office of Public Works completed the purchase of a site for the Youghal decentralised offices by the end of 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17245/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the overall decentralisation programme, it is intended that 100 staff of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and 100 staff of the Valuation Office will be decentralised to Youghal, Co. Cork. I am advised by PAS and the Valuation Office that the number of people who have indicated their desire to decentralise to Youghal with these offices is 100 and 28 respectively. In accordance with the indicative timescale set out in the report from the Decentralisation Implementation Group both offices are working towards decentralising to Youghal in mid 2009.

I am informed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) that they have agreed terms to acquire a local authority site in Youghal from Cork County Council. The legal formalities are being pursued by the Chief State Solicitors Office in consultation with Cork County Council's legal representatives.