asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the percentage of employees of his Department stationed in the city of Dublin; and if he considers there is a need for any decentralisation of its activities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Departmental Decentralisation.
71.
About 36 per cent of the staff of my Department are stationed in Dublin and its activities are already decentralised to a considerable degree.
Is the Minister aware that in the case of the British Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food only 15 per cent of their staff are stationed in London, and would he consider there is considerable room for decentralising the activities of his Department to bring it into greater contact with the farming community, who are decentralised?
I would not accept the Deputy's general thesis which seems to be that the British situation and ours are similar and comparable. On the contrary, I would submit that the contact that exists at the present time between the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the farming community generally is very satisfactory. That is not to say that if it were capable of improvement we would not try to improve it.