Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will list in regard to his Department and State agencies or bodies operating under the aegis of his Department, the original proposal announced in December 2003 in regard to decentralisation; the position in regard to each such proposed decentralisation; the number which have been completed; the number of persons who have been relocated; the number and proportion who have been relocated from Dublin or from other locations; the number of projects that have to be completed; the target date for completion in each case; the number of proposed projects that will not proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32009/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is being decentralised to Killarney, Co. Kerry, under the Government's Decentralisation Programme, which was announced in the 2004 Budget. It was also announced that three State Agencies under the aegis of the Department were also to be decentralised — The Irish Sports Council to Killarney, the Arts Council to Kilkenny and Fáilte Ireland to Mallow, County Cork.

The Department, which has a staff of 130 excluding the National Archives, was designated an "early mover" by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG). To date, 76 staff have relocated to temporary accommodation in Fossa, Killarney, 34 of which were previously located in Dublin with the remainder joining the Department from provincial locations. The objective is to complete the decentralisation process of the Department by early 2009 by which time it will be operating from the new purpose built offices in Killarney.

As the State Agencies under the aegis of the Department namely Fáilte Ireland, the Irish Sports Council, and the Arts Council have not been given early mover status by the DIG, no timeframe was given for their decentralisation. Therefore no transfers have taken place to date. However, these Agencies do have decentralisation implementation plans in place that are kept under review. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is currently assessing a number of options regarding suitable locations and properties for these Agencies and in that context accommodation in Mallow for an advance group has been identified for Fáilte Ireland.

In relation to the decentralisation of the State Agencies proceeding, the Government decided on 8th July last that no further expenditure on the acquisition of accommodation for decentralisation should be sanctioned pending detailed consideration by the Government of two reports: one from the Decentralisation Implementation Group on the feasibility of phased moves by the State Agencies; and one from the Implementation Group of Secretaries General on the governmental and cross-Departmental issues arising from the need to provide facilities for Ministers, Ministers of State and officials while in Dublin on business. I expect that the Minister for Finance will present these reports to Government shortly.