Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 199: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the operation to date of the decentralisation programme for both Department staff and agencies operating under the aegis of his Department; if he will quantify the number of staff who have relocated directly from his Department or agencies to regional locations; the savings in financial terms in respect of office accommodation previously required which is no longer occupied, due to the numbers of staff decentralised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34291/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department is that some 600 headquarters staff will move to Portlaoise, 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. The move of the Fisheries function of my Department to Clonakilty, involving over 80 staff, is now substantially complete. The decision regarding state agencies is that Bord Bia will move to Enniscorthy and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) will move to Clonakilty.

My Department's original Decentralisation Implementation Plan allowed for a phased movement to Portlaoise. The 2005, 2006 and 2007 advance phases of decentralisation to Portlaoise were completed on schedule. There has been an increase of some 300 full-time posts to bring the total number in Portlaoise to almost 500 since the programme began. To date, the Department has met its targets as set out in its original plan. The initial estimate for completion of the plan was 2008, to coincide with the availability of the permanent accommodation. The Office of Public Works (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 planning permission for the new building has now been granted. 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. An additional advance phase has been agreed and planning and preparations for this phase are currently underway.

Separate implementation plans for Fermoy and Macroom are in place. The plans allow for a phasing of the recruitment of staff but no physical move until the permanent accommodation is in place. Bord Bia and BIM also have separate implementation plans; no advance moves have taken place.

In total there has been an increase of 297 full-time posts in Portlaoise and 84 in Clonakilty since the programme was announced. Of the 297 who transferred to Portlaoise, 204 were relocated from Dublin; of the 84 who transferred to Clonakilty, 35 were relocated from Dublin.

The acquisition of property is primarily a matter for OPW and they have supplied the following details of the site acquisition at the Department's four locations.

The Clonakilty offices, which are also due to accommodate BIM, are due to be completed in Quarter 1 2009. The OPW have also identified a site in Enniscorthy for Bord Bia.

Since the commencement of the programme, my Department has vacated accommodation in Hume House, Dublin 4, the annual rent for which was €660,000. Parts of Agriculture House have also been vacated and my Department is liaising with OPW in this regard. The accommodation vacated by Fisheries was in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

All of the foregoing, however, needs to be considered against the background of the Government decision on 8 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 Minister, Ministers of State and officials while in Dublin on business.