Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the full extent to which decentralisation targets have been met by his Department to date; the all in cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9031/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism was designated for relocation to Killarney, Co. Kerry, under the Government's Decentralisation Programme, which was announced in the 2004 Budget. The Department, with a staff of 130, excluding the National Archives, was designated an "early mover" by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG).

To date, 79 members of staff (including two service officers who were recruited locally) have relocated to new purpose built offices in Killarney. The Department is currently working towards the completion of the decentralisation process while simultaneously assessing how best to provide an efficient and effective service to its stakeholders including meeting the needs of the Minister, the Minister of State and the Houses of the Oireachtas in the context of implementing Government decisions on decentralisation.

The total non-property expenditure to date is €1,075,800. This expenditure includes the cost of office machinery, office and premises overheads, postal and telecommunications services and travel and subsistence. The OPW are responsible for the acquisition of and the costs relating to temporary and the permanent accommodation and therefore these do not fall within this Department's Vote.