Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 158: To ask the Minister for Defence if a cost benefit analysis was conducted on the decentralisation of elements of his Department to Newbridge and elements of Defence Forces headquarters to the Defence Forces training centre in the Curragh Camp; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6363/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for Finance in his Budget speech in December 2003, announced that a total of 8 Departments would be moving their headquarters from Dublin to provincial locations. As part of this programme, all of my Department's Dublin based civil service staff are re-locating to Newbridge and the Defence Forces Headquarters will relocate to the Curragh. In coming to its decision on decentralisation, the Government took account of a wide range of factors in selecting suitable locations and departments and agencies.

Immediately following the announcement of the programme, a Decentralisation Implementation Group was appointed to prepare an overall implementation plan in consultation with all of the organisations involved, including my Department. My Department has produced implementation plans for the Group, setting out the detailed arrangements that will be put in place for relocation, such as risk assessment and mitigation strategies, service and business continuity, and business processes and systems. These plans are being progressed in preparation for the move. The re-location of my Department to Newbridge and of the Defence Forces Headquarters to the Curragh will take place in 2009.