Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of posts that have been decentralised as part of the current decentralisation programme with respect to his Department and agencies; the cost of mileage and overtime paid with respect to the holders of these posts in the year prior to decentralisation and the year after decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34717/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has been making good progress in the relocation of the required 250 posts to Carlow under the Government's Decentralisation Programme.

The following business units/Offices of my Department have been selected as part of the Decentralisation Programme and will be relocated in the new decentralised office:

Companies Registration Office/Registry of Friendly Societies

National Employment Rights Authority (NERA)

Work Permits

Redundancy Payments Section

Insolvency Payments Section

The OPW has advised my Department that they anticipate that construction of the Permanent Office in Carlow, subject to no planning issues arising, will commence in June 2008 and completion of construction of the permanent office is expected by December 2009. In order to accommodate staff who wish to move earlier than the projected building completion date of late 2009, officials of my Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the OPW, opened an advance office in Carlow on July 30th 2007. The number of posts in this decentralised advance office is currently 98.

With regard to the cost of mileage and overtime paid with respect to the holders of these posts in the year prior to decentralisation and the year after decentralisation, it has not proved possible to collate all the information within the timeframe requested. Officials in my Department are currently compiling the information sought and a final response will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Agency Decentralisation

Under the current Government Decentralisation Programme, four of the Agencies under the aegis of my Department are due to decentralise as follows:

FÁS is to move 383 posts to Birr, Co. Offaly;

Enterprise Ireland (EI) is to move 300 posts to Shannon;The Health and Safety Authority is to move 110 posts to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, and

The National Standards Authority of Ireland is to move 132 posts to Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

My Department continues to provide advice and support to each of the four Agencies in progressing their decentralisation programmes and there is a dedicated Agency Decentralisation Committee to drive the process forward. In addition, I am satisfied that each Agency is fully engaged in the process and taking all of the relevant steps to advance their decentralisation plans. The cost of mileage and overtime paid to Agency staff is a day-to-day operational matter for the four agencies concerned and one in which I have no function or responsibility.

FÁS

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, FÁS is due to transfer its head office including some 383 posts to Birr, County Offaly. FÁS currently has 21 staff members working in leased FÁS Offices in Birr.

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland (EI) is to move 300 posts to Shannon under the decentralisation programme. Progress on the full transfer of EI's HQ to Shannon, within the Government decentralisation programme, will be influenced by factors (many exogenous to EI) such as; the level of interest in the Shannon location expressed by CAF applicants and by progress made during discussions at a central level on various issues central to Agency decentralisation. To date, no posts have moved to Shannon under this scheme.

Latest figures available to EI from the Central Applications Facility reflect that no Enterprise Ireland staff have applied for decentralisation to Enterprise Ireland in Shannon. The number of applications received from within the civil and public service amounts to 25.

EI now has a major presence in the Shannon region. EI has established its new National Regional Development Headquarters in Shannon and has established the County Enterprise Support Unit in Shannon. Currently there are 40 staff working in EI's Shannon office and it is expected that a total of approximately 65 EI staff will be in place in Shannon over the coming months

Health and Safety Authority

The Health and Safety Authority is to move 110 posts to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. To date a total of 62 people (11 HSA staff, 41 Civil Servants, 10 Public Servants) have expressed an interest through the Central Application Facility (CAF) process in transferring to Thomastown, County Kilkenny.

In anticipation of the move to Thomastown, the Authority established an interim office in Kilkenny city in August 2006. To date, 27 staff have re-located to that office. That office is now fully occupied and discussions are currently on-going with a view to securing larger office space in the area. All staff that move to the Kilkenny office will transfer to Thomastown when those premises are completed and all newly recruited Dublin based staff are ultimately contracted to move to Thomastown.

NSAI

Under the Government's decentralisation programme the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is due to relocate 123 posts to Arklow, Co. Wicklow. To date no posts have moved. Ten NSAI staff members have indicated on the CAF that are volunteering to decentralise.