Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position with regard to the proposed decentralisation of An Bord Bia and Bord Glas headquarters to Enniscorthy, County Wexford; the situation with regard to the timeframe for availability of proposed office space, the number of staff seeking transfers; when she anticipates decentralisation will take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19639/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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To date 26 Bord Bia staff members have indicated a willingness to relocate to Enniscorthy. Applications have been made by 47 persons from outside Bord Bia for positions in Enniscorthy under the decentralisation programme, of whom 19 are based in Dublin.

Issues relating to the transferability of staff between State Agencies and between the Civil Service, Public Service and State Agencies generally are being examined centrally by the Department of Finance who deal with general human resource and industrial relations issues arising from decentralisation. Bord Bia is not one of the organisations given early mover status under the Government's decentralisation plan and a precise timeframe has not been established.

Working in conjunction with the OPW, the Board and senior management of Bord Bia inspected a number of properties in Enniscorthy. Arising from this, one was selected as the preferred site and the matter of site acquisition and development are now being pursued by the OPW.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of posts decentralised to date as part of her Department's decentralisation programme; the location of the decentralised posts in each case; the corresponding number of posts that have been reduced from her Department's Dublin offices to date; and the overall net loss or gain in terms of post numbers as a result of the decentralisation of these posts. [19647/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department is that the headquarters will move to Portlaoise (involving some 600 staff); the local offices in Cork city will move to Fermoy (involving up to 100 staff); and the laboratories in Cork and Limerick will move to Macroom (again involving up to 100 staff).

My Department's Decentralisation Implementation plan provides for a phased movement to Portlaoise i.e. the transfer of functions and posts over a number of years. The 2005 and 2006 phases of Decentralisation are now complete and planning and preparation are ongoing for the remainder of 2007 and subsequent phases. To the end of June 2007 some 116 posts have moved to Portlaoise from Dublin across a range of Divisions such as Accommodation Division, Management Services Division, Meat Hygiene and Animal By-Products, Meat Policy, Milk Policy, Crop Policy, Personnel, Health and Safety, Corporate Affairs, Finance Division and Economics and Planning. Some staff from Inspectorate Divisions have also moved. In total there has been an increase of some 200 full time posts in Portlaoise since early 2004 which includes additional staff assigned to new posts in the newly introduced Single Payment Scheme (SPS).

Overall there are currently over 400 of my Department's staff in Portlaoise. Implementation Plans for Fermoy and Macroom are also in place and the recruitment process for Fermoy has begun.