John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Transport the progress to date in the decentralisation in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23405/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The decentralisation of 50 Departmental and Road Safety Authority staff to Loughrea was among the priority moves in the Government's programme and was completed in July 2007. Decentralisation of an additional 62 Road Safety Authority posts (which were not part of the original Government decision) to Ballina was also achieved.

My Department met with the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) on 15 April 2008. Representatives from each of the agencies under the Department's aegis were also in attendance. Discussions took place on how best to progress decentralisation to Drogheda along with the various issues facing the agencies and their decentralisation programmes.

My Department is also required to transfer at least 37 posts to Drogheda and this is being actively pursued. An immediate priority is to acquire a suitable premises and the OPW are pursuing this.

Decentralisation of the National Roads Authority and Railway Safety Commission to Ballinasloe, Bus Éireann to Mitchelstown, and the Irish Aviation Authority to Shannon, although not originally identified as priority moves, are also being addressed.

In the context of the Expenditure Review undertaken earlier this year, my Department considered the transfer of the 37 posts to Drogheda and concluded that locating a combination of safety investigation functions and other related safety posts there offers very good potential for operational efficiencies and value for money.

At its meeting on 27 May the Government agreed to my proposals to relocate the Railway Safety Commission to Drogheda instead of Ballinasloe, and relocate an additional 20 posts of the National Roads Authority to Ballinasloe in order to achieve the Government's targets in respect of those locations.