Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will review the last Government's decentralisation policy as it affects the offices of his Department, with a view to relocating back to the capital those sections of the office that have been transferred, for example, the Limerick office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18333/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is currently divided between Dublin and Limerick. The majority of the officers assigned to the Development Cooperation Division which manages the aid programme, Irish Aid, are based in Limerick. As a result of an overall restructuring and rationalisation within my Department, the Development Cooperation Division has now assumed major new responsibilities for our overall political and trade promotion relations with sub-Saharan Africa and a number of countries in Asia where we have an aid programme. The Division will now be balanced between Limerick and Dublin and it is not proposed to relocate the Limerick office back to Dublin.