Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of civil servants and other public servants who have decentralised as at 31 December 2006 and the current date broken down into individual Government Departments and agencies; the number required for full decentralisation, broken down under individual Departmental and agencies plans; the number of currently decentralised locations in operation; the agencies with no progress; the values of properties purchased and sold in respect of the decentralisation process to date; the other costs incurred to date with the decentralisation process, broken down by category; the number of Departmental staff involved in administrating the decentralisation process since its inception; the number of planning applications in progress in relation to building decentralised premises and planning applications to be submitted, broken down by location and planning submission date; the original budgeted and the expected total costs to be incurred for decentralisation; his further proposals in this regard; the expected date for completion of the full decentralisation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2384/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The following table shows the number of posts in my Department and in the agencies under the aegis of my Department which will be decentralising, the decentralised location, the number of posts which have decentralised as at 31 December 2006, the number who have decentralised to date; the indicative completion date for each location and the number of Departmental staff involved in administrating the decentralisation programme:

Regarding the overall programme I am informed by the Central Decentralisation Unit in my Department that the estimated gross cost of the property aspects of the original decentralisation programme was €900m at the outset of the programme (2004 prices). This was based on provision of accommodation for 10,300 staff outside of Dublin. The overall number of staff for which accommodation is required has increased since the announcement of the programme due to additional bodies and locations being added to the programme, changes to business functions of certain organisations, additional space required for work-sharing staff, planned future expansion etc. and consolidation of certain existing regional offices into new buildings. Based on the costs incurred to date,the OPW expects that the direct cost of providing accommodation for this increased number of staff will be contained within the overall envelope.

While the majority of posts have not yet moved from Dublin, the OPW has been able to dispose of property in Dublin being held for future expansion because the announcement of the decentralisation programme clarified that most future expansion of Civil Service accommodation would not be in central Dublin. Total income from such property disposed of between January 2004 and December 2007 was €387.5 million. In addition property valued at €75 million was transferred to the Affordable Homes Partnership. In addition the OPW has agreed joint venture redevelopment schemes with a minimum value of circa €125 million up to the end of 2007 and further ongoing large property disposals are planned having regard to progress with staff moves.

As expected, non-property costs have been increasing since the beginning of 2007 as more advance accommodation is in place, staff training has increased and actual moves have taken place. At end June 2007, the total non-property costs incurred amounted to approximately €9m. This reflects the significant rate of progress across decentralising organisations this year in furthering their implementation arrangements.

I am informed by the OPW that the following table schedules expenditure details for the decentralisation programme as it relates to my Department and the agencies under the aegis of my Department (on the property solutions finalised to date) on site purchase, yearly rental costs on office space (both in long and short term), fit out costs and building acquisition on the decentralisation programme:

The Office of Public Works has confirmed that there are no current applications for planning permission in their direct name. In the case of all projects associated with the Decentralisation Programme, planning permission, where required, is sought at an early stage of the procurement process. Where buildings are being procured on a Design and Build basis, the matter of obtaining a satisfactory planning permission is the responsibility of the preferred tenderer who has been selected for the particular project.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 193: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of civil and other public servants based in Dublin in his Department and agencies who have applied for decentralisation, who have been transferred to their decentralisation post and are currently in position in the decentralised location outside Dublin; the number of civil and other public servants required for decentralisation under the plans; the original and expected date for full decentralisation to be in place; the locations together with details of properties and land owned, purchased or planning permissions sought for the construction of premises for decentralisation; the costs incurred to date and the original budgeted for and expected actual costs to be incurred for decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2385/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Under the decentralisation programme my Department will decentralise one hundred and thirty (130) posts to Tullamore. One hundred and twenty three (123) staff of my Department have already decentralised to Tullamore and a further two (2) have accepted offers of decentralisation. Of those in Tullamore eighty two (82) staff transferred from Dublin posts, twenty five (25) staff were serving in various other locations in the country and sixteen(16)staff were recruited specifically for Tullamore. It is envisaged that a further five (5) will have relocated to Tullamore by the end of 2008. About thirty (30) further posts in my Department are scheduled to decentralise to County Kildare during 2008.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that forty-eight (48) staff of their Office have decentralised to temporary accommodation in Limerick in preparation for the move to Newcastle West and a further two (2) officers have accepted offers of decentralisation. Of those in the temporary accommodation in Limerick, two (2) were serving in Dublin prior to moving to Limerick. Fifty seven (57) staff have decentralised to Kilrush. Of those, five (5) were based in Dublin. Fifty-one (51) staff have decentralised to Listowel. Of those, eight (8) were based in Dublin. A further officer (1) has accepted an offer to decentralise to Listowel. An advance party of forty-six (46) staff have decentralised to Athy. Of those, forty three (43) were based in Dublin. A further five (5) officers have accepted offers to decentralise to Athy, three (3) of whom are based in Dublin. The Office of Public Works are examining a number of possibilities for permanent accommodation in Athy. Eighty (80) staff have decentralised to Navan. Of those, seventy seven (77) were based in Dublin. A further six (6) officers have accepted offers to decentralise to Navan, five (5) of whom are based in Dublin. Arrangements are underway for their relocation to Navan.

Under the programme the OPW will transfer three hundred and thirty three (333) posts to Trim, one hundred and forty two (142) posts to Claremorris and eighty eight (88) to Kanturk. I am informed by the Office of Public Works that twenty-nine (29) staff in that Office have transferred to Claremorris. Of the personnel concerned, five (5) were based in Dublin and twenty four (24) were based outside of Dublin. The OPW are currently planning an advance office in Trim, which involves the transfer of some 30 posts in 2008, and these personnel are based in Dublin. The OPW has 187 staff in place in Dublin with a view to moving to their decentralised HQ in Trim.

With regard to the other agencies under the aegis of my Department, arrangements for decentralisation are proceeding in accordance with their implementation plans which have been prepared and submitted by each of the agencies to the Implementation Group. To date, no staff have been decentralised by the Public Appointments Service, or the Valuation Office. However ten (10) staff in the PAS and eleven (11) staff in the Valuation Office are currently in posts in Dublin awaiting a transfer to Youghal. PAS and the Valuation Office are due to relocate to Youghal in 2009. Under the programme both the PAS and the Valuation Office will transfer 100 posts each to Youghal.

I am informed by the OPW that the following table schedules expenditure details for the decentralisation programme as it relates to my Department and the agencies under the aegis of my Department (on the property solutions finalised to date) on site purchase, yearly rental costs on office space (both in long and short term), fit out costs and building acquisition on the decentralisation programme:-

The Office of Public Works has confirmed that there are no current applications for planning permission in their direct name. In the case of all projects associated with the Decentralisation Programme, planning permission, where required, is sought at an early stage of the procurement process. Where buildings are being procured on a Design and Build basis, the matter of obtaining a satisfactory planning permission is the responsibility of the preferred tenderer who has been selected for the particular project.

Regarding the overall programme I am informed by the Central Decentralisation Unit in my Department that the estimated gross cost of the property aspects of the original decentralisation programme was €900m at the outset of the programme (2004 prices). This was based on provision of accommodation for 10,300 staff outside of Dublin. The overall number of staff for which accommodation is required has increased since the announcement of the programme due to additional bodies and locations being added to the programme (390 posts), changes to business functions of certain organisations (260 posts), additional space required for worksharing staff, planned future expansion, consultants, etc. (150) and consolidation of certain existing regional offices into new buildings (270). From the costs incurred to date, the OPW anticipates that the direct cost of providing accommodation for this increased number of staff will be contained within the overall envelope.

As expected, non-property costs have been increasing since the beginning of 2007 as more advance accommodation is in place, staff training has increased and actual moves have taken place. At end June 2007, the total non-property costs incurred amount to approximately €9m. This reflects the significant rate of progress across decentralising organisations this year in furthering their implementation arrangements.