Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider the retention of a docking station at the offices of his Department at Hebron Road, Kilkenny in order that matters relating to farming and other queries relating to entitlements and inspections will be dealt with by field officers rather than incurring unnecessary expense in travel subsistence arising from the decision to transfer the functions of this office to Waterford. [43536/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Government approved my plan for a reorganisation of my Department's Local Office Network last July. The plan involves reducing, from 57 to 16, the number of offices from which the Department will operate District Veterinary, Forestry and Agricultural Environment and Structures support services in the future.

The decision to close some forty offices of the Department was made only after we had completed a detailed study of the Department's operations at local level. Decisions were made in relation to the overall strategy and against a background of major changes in the Department's operating environment in recent years brought about by the impact of the Single Farm Payment, benefits derived from substantial investment in Information Communications Technology and significant reductions in the incidence of disease.

Improvements in business processes, information technology and communications will allow the Department to provide to all of our clients, the full range of services from the 16 enhanced offices set out in the plan.

Department staff will be relocated to the enhanced offices where appropriate or redeployed to other areas of the Department or to other Departments and Agencies. Where particular arrangements are identified which would benefit service delivery and operational needs, these will be considered on the basis of an agreed business case.