Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department's offices in County Kerry will be retained; if current staffing levels will be maintained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13110/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In common with all Departments and Agencies, my Department is obliged to comply with new targets for reducing staff numbers in respect of each year to 2015 under the Employment Control Framework. The reform of our Regional Office structure has facilitated a more efficient and cost effective model of service delivery and has allowed the Department to utilise its declining staff resources to best effect while maintaining a high quality of services to farmers and other food business operators. My Department is using the Croke Park agreement to deploy staff in a manner that ensures optimum resource usage in the delivery of services. For County Kerry services can be accessed from my Department's Regional Office in Tralee.