Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether the decentralisation programme has had an adverse effect on his Department's ability to deliver services, particularly in the communications development section, in view of the fact that Freedom of Information documents have revealed that, for example, the National Broadband Scheme had no full-time staff working on it at times during 2006; if the communications development section currently has a full complement of staff; if other sections affected by the decentralisation programme have a full complement of staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28234/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Government's decentralisation programme provides for the relocation of my Department in its entirety to Cavan by the end of 2010. To date some 53 staff on the Corporate Services side of the Department have already transferred successfully to Cavan. The next phase of our planned relocation involves placing Cavan-bound staff into divisions within the Natural Resources area of my Department, namely Inland Fisheries, Petroleum Affairs Division and Exploration and Mining Division.

There are strategies in place to ensure that any risks that might arise from decentralisation-related staff turnover are managed and mitigated. These include adequate overlap periods for staff training and the development of knowledge management strategies throughout the Department, which aim to minimise the loss of corporate knowledge associated with high levels of staff turnover. Our experience of the staff transfers that have already taken place is that these were concluded without any adverse impact on my Department's business delivery.

My Department, in common with other Government Departments, operates under an authorised staff number cap set by the Department of Finance. Staff resources, within our authorised staff number, are allocated across the divisions on the basis of availability, business needs and priorities. The Department's Management Committee continuously reviews the internal allocation and deployment of staff so as to ensure that we can quickly and flexibly respond to changing business priorities.

In this context I am satisfied that the Communications Division in the Department, including the section dealing with the National Broadband Scheme, has been, and is, adequately resourced.