Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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242. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will commence a programme of decentralisation of Departments throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33897/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, The Decentralisation Programme announced in December 2003 involved the relocation of over 10,000 civil and public service jobs to 53 locations in 25 counties.

Up to the date of the cancellation of the programme, about a third of the target numbers, over 3,400 posts were decentralised. The proportion of civil servants working outside Dublin is now just over 50%.

The Government agreed in November 2011 that the Decentralisation Programme should be cancelled in the light of the budgetary and staffing outlook. It was agreed that one project, the Defence Forces in the Curragh, should proceed, on a cost effective basis, as soon as budgetary resources permit.

There are currently no plans at the present time to introduce a further programme of decentralisation.