Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the 2003 decentralisation programme, my Department decentralised 88 staff to our extended Athlone campus in the summer of 2008. We also decentralised an advance party of 6 staff to Mullingar.

As the information is not recorded in the manner required by the Deputy I am not in a position to provide a breakdown of Travel and Subsistence costs for decentralised individuals for my Department or the Agencies under the aegis of my Department. However, the total Domestic Travel costs for the Department have reduced significantly in recent years. Since 2007 (i.e. pre-decentralisation) the overall costs have been reduced by approximately 58%. Total

Year	Amount
Year 2007:	€3.13m
Year 2008:	€3.06m
Year 2014:	€1.33m

This Department's policy on domestic travel is for public transport to be used where available and practicable. Videoconferencing facilities have been in place in my Department's offices for a number of years, enabling staff in two or more locations communicate by simultaneous video and audio transmissions. In addition during 2013, my Department rolled out unified communications software across the three main offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore and a number of regional/local offices, with plans to extend to other such offices in 2014. This software facilitates desktop video conferencing and desktop sharing, enabling colleagues in different locations work on the same document. These technologies reduce the time and cost associated with business travel and enable a more efficient way of working. It is however inevitable that senior officials in particular would be required to attend meetings away from their base such as Interdepartmental meetings, Ministerial meetings etc.

In respect of Agencies under the aegis of my Department:-The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) decentralised 12 staff to Portlaoise in August 2008. Owing to staffing changes since then, there are currently nine posts in Portlaoise. Total T&S for the organisation in 2007 (i.e. pre-decentralisation) was €0.14m compared to €0.107m in 2009 (i.e. post-decentralisation).

FÁS decentralised 16 staff to Birr in April/May/June 2007 and following the cancellation of the Decentralisation programme, closed the office and redeployed staff in April 2012. Total T&S for the organisation in 2006 was €5.46m (i.e. pre-decentralisation) compared to €5.26m in 2008 (i.e. post-decentralisation)