Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1281: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the breakdown of the deployment of staff which has taken place under the decentralisation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47746/08]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1282: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the level of staff turnover involved in the decentralisation of his Department; the number of staff originally working for his Department who have transferred or will transfer to other Departments or agencies under the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47747/08]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1283: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of staff from his Department who will transfer to Portlaoise under the decentralisation process; the number of staff who will be based in Portlaoise following the decentralisation of headquarters to that location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47748/08]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1285: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if members of the MAC within his Department will transfer location under the decentralisation process; the division each member of the MAC has responsibility for and the location of this division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47751/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1281 to 1283, inclusive, and 1285 together.

My Department makes a quarterly return to the Department of Finance regarding the deployment of staff under the decentralisation programme and the most recent returns for Portlaoise and Clonakilty are as follows at Appendix A.

In the Department's original Decentralisation Implementation Plan, it was estimated that staff turnover would be high, over 90%. The risks arising from this high turnover of staff are being mitigated by the following.

Phased moves to Portlaoise to take into consideration the business needs of the Divisions concerned, to minimise the risks involved and to ensure continuity of business and the maintenance of service delivery to stakeholders during and immediately after the transition period. Successful advance moves took place in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Implementation of a Risk Assessment and Management Plan.

Introduction by the Department of Finance of a number of initiatives dealing with promotion and recruitment policies relating to the Decentralisation Programme.

In total 143 staff have been released to other decentralising organisations and 35 staff have been released to other Dublin based organisations through bilateral transfers and the Dublin arrangements and. In total 957 of the Department's staff have applied on the Central Applications Facility to transfer to other decentralising organisations.

The original Government decision on the decentralisation of the Department was that some 600 headquarters posts would move to Portlaoise. When the pre-existing office there is taken into consideration there will be up to 850 staff in Portlaoise following completion of the programme.

In 2004 the Department of Finance requested each Secretary General/Head of Office to discuss the question of decentralisation with his/her senior officers at Assistant Secretary level. Since then vacancies at this level in my Department are being filled by the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) on the basis that the successful candidate will decentralise at the appropriate time. I do not consider it appropriate to indicate the preferences of individual officers in the Department, but I can say that I am confident that there will be a sufficient cadre of people at this level to provide continuity of leadership and management experience as the decentralisation programme proceeds.

The responsibilities of each Management Committee member and locations of their Divisions is set out as follows