Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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200. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason behind the proposed closure of the DVO office in Tralee; where the work will then be carried out; the effect it will have on farmers in County Kerry who have been dealing with this office for many years; are there proposed cost savings or, like the closure of the Garda stations, will it cost more to close and relocate this office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11482/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I would like to emphasise that the Tralee office is not being closed down. The position is that the administrative functions are being transferred to the Portlaoise office but the Department’s vets, inspectors and technical officers will remain in place at the existing local offices to service our clients across all of the schemes that are provided from these offices. Front-line services will be fully maintained and public access for all of the Departments stakeholders will continue to be available in the Tralee office.

The transfer of the administrative functions out of the Tralee office arises from an extensive review of the local office structure which was carried out by the Department over the last number of years. This review concluded that, arising from investment in technology and the substantial reduction in disease levels in recent years, significant efficiencies would accrue from the centralisation of administrative functions in two centres, thereby giving rise to significant scope for redeployment of administrative staff from existing local offices. The process of centralising the administrative functions commenced in 2012 and is on-going.

In line with Government policy, my Department has actively sought redeployment opportunities for administrative staff in local Offices and staff have already been transferred from the local offices in Limerick, Tipperary, Enniscorthy and Waterford to other Departments and agencies, such as the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Justice, in order to enable those bodies to provide important services, including the property tax, Garda vetting etc. Arising from this process, cost savings associated with salary and office accommodation will accrue to my Department.

In conclusion, my Department will continue to maintain a public offices in Tralee and, indeed, in all of the locations from which the administrative functions are being transferred. The centralisation of administrative support should not impact negatively upon local access and services for local customers.