Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 218: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the extent to which decentralisation targets have been met by his Department to date in 2009; the cost to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48099/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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, excluding the National Archives, was designated an "early mover" by the Decentralisation Implementation Group. To date, 79 members of staff (including two service officers who were recruited locally) have relocated to the new purpose built offices which opened last December in Killarney. However, the Government moratorium on recruitment and promotion has impacted on the ability of the Department to proceed with further transfers at present.

In order to provide an efficient and effective service to its stakeholders including the Minister, Minister of State and the Houses of the Oireachtas, particularly when the Dail is in session, 20 posts were identified as requiring a predominantly Dublin presence while officers in those posts also spend periods of time in Killarney. In addition, extensive use is made of the video-conferencing facilities in the Department and every effort is made to co-ordinate and "cluster" meetings in order to keep the need for travel between the two locations to a minimum. The property expenditure for the Department's relocation to Killarney under the Decentralisation Programme is a matter for the OPW. The total non-property expenditure to date for the Decentralisation Programme for the Department is €1.16m.