Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the situation regarding the proposed relocation of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara to Clonakilty. [27133/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government Decentralisation Programme the Fisheries Divisions of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as well as an Bord Iascaigh Mhara are to be co-located in Clonakilty. The Department opened an interim decentralised office in Clonakilty in July 2006 and there are currently 80 civil servants from the fisheries Division of the Department working in that office.

In addition, some of the former staff of the fisheries divisions of the Department now work in the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which was established on the 1st January 2007. There are 28 public servants working in the Clonakilty headquarters of the Authority at present. To date none of the (90) posts due to relocate to Clonakilty have moved, pending resolution of a range of matters that have arisen in the context of the decentralisation of the State Agencies.

The Minister for Finance has asked his Department to engage at central level with the unions representing staff in State Agencies on the full range of industrial relations issues relating to the decentralisation of State Agencies. Once the central issues are resolved, meaningful negotiations can occur with BIM staff and Trade Unions towards implementing the decentralisation of BIM's Head Office to Clonakilty.

A contract has been placed by OPW in August of this year for the construction of the new decentralized offices for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and BIM. Construction commenced in September 2007 with an anticipated construction period of eighteen months.