Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 221: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the number of posts that have been decentralised to date, and of those, the number that have been decentralised from Dublin, and their grades; the number that have opted to remain in Dublin, and their grades; the number of those that have moved to another Department or agency in Dublin; and the number that have been decentralised from outside Dublin to other locations and their grades. [40706/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Government announcement on 14 October 2008 confirmed that the decentralisation of my Department's Headquarters to Wexford (270 posts) will proceed as planned. However the transfer of posts to the three other locations in the South East – Waterford (225 posts), New Ross (125 posts) and Kilkenny (62 posts) — is being deferred pending the outcome of a review in 2011 in light of budgetary developments.

The transfers of the National Building Agency and the Local Government Computer Services Board, to Wexford and Drogheda respectively, are also deferred pending the review.

My Department's Headquarter offices in Wexford are under construction, and expected to be completed by December 2008 and ready for occupation from February 2009. My Department will then transfer 270 posts into these offices commencing in Q1 2009.

An advance office was established in Wexford on 25 June 2007 and is currently staffed by 43 people in the following grades: Assistant Principal Officer, Higher Executive/Administrative Officer, Executive/Staff Officer, Clerical Officer and Services Officer. Of these, one staff member transferred from an original location outside of Dublin and one staff member was recruited locally. The remainder of the staff transferred from an original Dublin based location.

To date, 63 staff have transferred out of my Department to other Departments remaining in Dublin. Also 5 staff have transferred from my Department from a location outside Dublin to other Department's decentralised location in the grades of Higher Executive Officer and Executive Officer.