Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 312: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the current and capital expenditure which has been incurred to date in respect of the decentralisation projects which have been deferred until a further review occurs in 2011. [38898/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Finance announced as part of Budget 2009 that a number of decentralisation projects are to be deferred pending a review in 2011. The projects relevant to this Department are:

Carrickmacross;

Carrick-on-Shannon (Phase II);

Donegal;

Drogheda (Citizens Information Board);

Monaghan (Combat Poverty Agency).

Since the commencement of the decentralisation programme in the Department, expenditure returns have been submitted to the Department of Finance detailing non-property costs associated with the programme for both this Department and the agencies under its aegis. The only item of expenditure recorded in respect of the above projects is a sum of €6,150 which was incurred by the Citizens Information Board. The Department has not incurred any property costs as these are a matter for the Office of Public Works.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 313: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons who have been relocated to each of the decentralised locations established by units or agencies under her Department; the floor areas and occupancy capacity of each of the facilities concerned; and the date by which it is intended to complete the transfer of remaining staff. [38913/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's current decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,200 posts comprising the Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal Town, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda.

To date, 212 posts have relocated from the Department's Dublin Offices to Carrick-on-Shannon and Sligo under the current programme — 140 posts to Carrick-on-Shannon and 72 posts to Sligo. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has leased a building in Carrick-on-Shannon for this Department's decentralisation programme, with a floor area of 3,716 square meters and 186 accommodation spaces available. An extension to the Department's existing Office in Sligo, which also accommodates the business units relocating under the programme of decentralisation, has been completed. The estimated floor area occupied by these newly decentralised business units is 2,600 square meters.

In addition, the Department has decentralised offices in Longford, Sligo, Letterkenny, Waterford, Dundalk and Roscommon and some 219 employees have transferred to these offices and other offices of the Department to fill vacancies created by the current decentralisation programme. Furthermore, a total of 258 employees of the Department have transferred to other Government Departments for the purposes of their decentralisation programmes.

The Government outlined in Budget 2009 that the decentralisation programme to Buncrana and Drogheda would proceed as planned. A site in Buncrana has been purchased, the building is under construction and the expected completion date of the project is late 2009. The OPW has purchased sites in Drogheda to accommodate the Department's Headquarters and the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

As outlined in Budget 2009, the Government has reviewed the Decentralisation Programme in light of the changed economic circumstances and the deterioration in public finances. The remaining elements of the programme for this Department have been deferred pending a review in 2011 in light of the budgetary developments.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of staff moves that have been necessitated by the decentralisation programme in units or agencies in her Department distinguishing the moves at managerial or technical level. [38928/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's current decentralisation programme for the civil and public service, some 1,200 posts comprising the Department's headquarter sections and the Social Welfare Appeals Office are relocating to 6 locations — Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Donegal Town, Buncrana, Carrickmacross and Drogheda.

To date, 212 posts have relocated from the Department's Dublin Offices to Carrick-on-Shannon and Sligo under the current programme — 140 posts to Carrick-on-Shannon and 72 posts to Sligo.

In addition, the Department has decentralised offices in Longford, Sligo, Letterkenny, Waterford, Dundalk and Roscommon and some 219 employees have transferred to these offices and other offices of the Department to fill vacancies created by the current decentralisation programme. Furthermore, a total of 258 employees of the Department have transferred to other Government Departments for the purposes of their decentralisation programmes.

To date, 502 applicants have accepted offers of transfer for the current decentralisation programme of which 276 are at managerial level (Executive officer or higher grades). 103 Officers at managerial level have moved to their decentralised location and 12 Officers at managerial level have transferred into the Department in preparation for decentralisation. A further 141 Officers at managerial level, who have accepted offers to relocate under the programme, are serving within the Department. In addition, 11 Officers, at managerial or technical level, who are currently serving in Agencies that operate under the aegis of this Department, have relocation clauses in their contracts.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 315: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the facilities in Dublin which units or agencies under her Department, plan to vacate as a result of the decentralisation programme; the floor areas involved; and when it is planned that they will be realised. [38943/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Decentralisation programme, it is planned to relocate some 114 posts from the Department to Buncrana. The first phase of this proposed move will commence in early 2010 and will include 70 staff relocating from one Dublin based headquarter office (Gandon House). The estimated floor space vacated as a result of the relocation will be of the order of 750 square metres.

It is also planned to relocate certain business units from a number of the Department's headquarter offices in Dublin (including the Social Welfare Appeals office) to Drogheda. The Office of Public Works has purchased a parcel of lands from Drogheda Borough Council for this purpose. It is intended that the accommodation will be procured by Public Private Partnership (PPP), the procurement process to be conducted by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). In that regard, the accommodation requirements are being assessed and the matter of bringing the project to the point of procurement is being progressed by the Office of Public Works in consultation with the Department.

Accordingly, it is not possible at this stage to provide an estimate of the floor space to be vacated in the Dublin offices following relocation to Drogheda.