Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in relation to the proposed decentralisation for Mullingar, her Department has finalised its plans in this regard; if her Department will provide the necessary temporary accommodation in order to allow decentralisation to proceed immediately; if same will be proceeded with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28379/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's decentralisation programme, 300 posts from my Department's headquarters will decentralise to Mullingar, with a further 100 posts decentralising to Athlone. A site has been acquired for my Department's new headquarters in Mullingar and tenders have been received by the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the provision of this accommodation. The accommodation will be procured as a Public Private Partnership project, using the design, build, finance and maintain model. It is currently envisaged that the decentralisation to Mullingar will take place in 2010.

No decision has been taken as to whether a number of posts will be located into temporary accommodation in Mullingar in advance of the full decentralisation of 300 posts into the new permanent accommodation. The issue will continue to be examined from time to time pending a decision.

The decentralisation of sections from Dublin to Athlone will take place next year, resulting in the relocation of 400 posts from Dublin into new permanent accommodation in Athlone and Mullingar over a period of approximately 2 years. As I have previously stated, the capacity of my Department to manage its business if this process is accelerated is a major consideration in deciding as to whether it is appropriate to relocate a number of posts into temporary accommodation in Mullingar in advance of the full move of 300 posts into the new permanent accommodation.