Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the non-property cost of decentralisation for each quarter since the project was initiated with regard to his Department's quarterly return to the Decentralisation Implementation Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3210/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of civil and public servants in his Department who have been decentralised to date; the number who will be decentralised in total under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3225/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together.

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the Development Cooperation Directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is Irish Aid's Headquarters, will decentralise to Limerick. Good progress has been made and personnel have either been assigned to, or identified for, 103 posts or approximately 83% of the 124 posts scheduled to be decentralised. An advance party involving 57 staff has already decentralised to interim office premises in Limerick, with most officers being in place since May 2007. It is expected that the remaining staff of Irish Aid will transfer to Limerick in June 2008, on completion and fit-out of the permanent accommodation.

There are still a number of issues to be worked out with regard to the specialist posts which are scheduled to move. Discussions are on-going at a very senior level with representatives of the specialists, with their union IMPACT and with the Departments of Finance and Foreign Affairs in order to resolve the outstanding issues. Progress has been made and I hope that these discussions can be brought to a successful conclusion at an early date.

In June 2005, the Department started reporting quarterly to the Department of Finance on non-property costs associated with the decentralisation programme. Table 1 below sets out the costs incurred by this Department during the period 2004-2006. The costs incurred during this time mainly related to training and subsistence. Table 2 below sets out the costs incurred in the first three quarters in 2007, mainly arising from the move to interim premises in May of that year. The Department will be reporting shortly to the Department of Finance on the final quarter of 2007.