Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will list in regard to her Department and State agencies or bodies operating under the aegis of her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [32018/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy will be aware my Department is not one of the Departments scheduled for decentralisation under the Government's Decentralisation Programme. To date fifty-five civil servants have transferred to decentralising Departments from my Department. Further details in respect of the transfer of these officers are available from the decentralising Departments.

With regard to the Health Sector, the original Government announcement stated that the Programme included 500 health sector staff but, in view of the position at that time in relation to the health reform programme, the Government had decided not to make any decisions about exactly what staff should be decentralised and to what locations these jobs should be assigned. However, the announcement did go on to say that the Government had decided that the then new Health Service Executive and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) would be located outside Dublin. As regards the HSE, the delivery of health and personal social services already takes place on a decentralised basis, with personnel and facilities in locations spread across the entire country. HIQA was formally established in May 2007 and its headquarters are located in Cork. HIQA has informed my Department that there are currently a total of 35 (permanent and contract) staff working in its Cork office.