Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the status of the decentralisation plan for her Department; the number of civil servants and sections planned to be located to another location; the target date of same; the number of civil servants and sections who have relocated; the number of her original Department employees who were involved in these relocations; when the total programme of decentralisation will be completed in her Department; the number of civil servants who will remain in Dublin and the percentage of the staff of her Department that will represent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6877/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department is that our headquarters will move to Portlaoise, involving some 600 staff; the local offices in Cork city will move to Fermoy, involving some 100 staff; and the laboratories in Cork and Limerick will move to Macroom, involving up to 100 staff. These are all currently scheduled for completion in 2009. The move of the Fisheries function of my Department to Clonakilty is now substantially complete.

My Department's original Decentralisation Implementation Plan allowed for a phased movement to Portlaoise. The 2005 and 2006 phases of decentralisation to Portlaoise were completed on schedule; the 2007 phase is now concluding. The original estimate for completion of the plan was 2008, to coincide with the availability of the permanent accommodation. The OPW announced last December that a consortium, the Macquarie Partnership, has won the tender for the project to build the permanent offices in Portlaoise (as part of a public private partnership including offices in Mullingar and Carlow) and the latest OPW estimate for completion of the project is the end of 2009. A revision to the Department's Decentralisation Implementation Plan is now being considered, to reflect the changes to the timetable and the progress so far, as well as the evolving operating environment.

Separate implementation plans for Fermoy and Macroom are in place. The identification of sites for both Fermoy and Macroom is progressing with announcements expected in both locations. Some recruitment for Fermoy is currently in progress.

In total there has been an increase of 254 full-time posts in Portlaoise and 80 in Clonakilty since the programme was announced. Of the 254 staff that transferred to Portlaoise, 111 originally worked in my Department and were relocated under the programme. The Government Decision on my Department is that the headquarters will move in its entirety to Portlaoise.