Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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437. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to close the district veterinary office in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41578/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In 2009, in line with government policy, my Department began a process of restructuring its local office network which reduced the number of local offices from 58 to 16 enhanced Regional Offices. A follow-on review of the business processes and procedures and, in particular, the administrative support requirements, in those 16 offices resulted in the introduction of a number of significant changes to the procedures in relation to the implementation of controls in the TB eradication programme. As a consequence of these changes and having regard to the significant efficiencies which have already arisen as a result of the investment made by my Department in IT in recent years, the number of staff required to deliver the service in the local offices has been considerably reduced. The review concluded that further substantial efficiencies would accrue from the centralisation of administrative support and, in light of this, my Department has commenced a process to centralise this support in 2 ‘back office’ locations, namely Portlaoise and Cavan. The centralisation of administrative functions will facilitate the redeployment of staff from my Department’s Regional Offices to other State agencies and, thereby, enable Government to provide services through these agencies more efficiently. My Department has already engaged with the Garda Siochána, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Revenue Commissioners and the Payroll Shared Services Centre with a view to new work for Department staff affected by the reorganisation plan. Following the Government decision to locate one of the 3 Payroll Shared Services Centres in Galway, my Department has been requested to redeploy our administrative staff in Galway to that Centre. No date has been set yet for redeployment but the Department anticipates it likely to happen in mid 2015. As things stand at present, redeployment to the Shared Payroll Service will not involve administrative staff being moved from their current location in Renmore.

My Department is considering further administrative efficiencies, however i t is important to state that any changes in staffing levels in my Department’s Galway office will not negatively impact upon local access and services for local customers. Department veterinary inspectors, agricultural inspectors and technical officers will remain in place and frontline services will be fully maintained and public access for all of the Departments stakeholders will continue to be available. Similar changes have taken place in the Department’s offices in Clonakilty, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Enniscorthy without any negative implications for the provision of services to farmer clients.