Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 126: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will clarify the circumstances in which decentralisation proposals can be withdrawn based on difficulties created for the practical operation of the body concerned; and the proposals he has received for the withdrawal or substitution of decentralisation proposals. [23566/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I assume that the Deputy is referring to the relocation of posts to Kildare Town by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue decentralisation project to relocate 380 posts to Kildare Town will go ahead in full. The Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners wrote to me outlining some business continuity issues regarding the relocation of that Office's full ICT function to Kildare Town. I agreed in principle to an alternative mix of 380 posts for the Kildare location and have asked the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners to submit a formal proposal setting out a revised mix of posts.

The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform also put forward proposals last year for a change in the mix of posts for Navan based on the business needs of the Probation and Welfare Service. In that instance an equivalent number of posts was agreed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for the Navan location from within the Justice group of Agencies.

This decision to consider an alternative mix of functions which Revenue will relocate to Kildare Town is further evidence that the decentralisation programme is vibrant and flexible enough to adapt to changing business needs as they arise in the detailed implementation phase while also ensuring delivery of the Government commitment to the 59 towns across 25 counties included in the programme.

On an ongoing basis, many of the organisations included in the Government's decentralisation programme will make small adjustments to the number and mix of posts for particular locations as their business evolves and changes over time.