asked the Minister for Finance in light of the Government's statement on decentralisation on 26 April last, the plans, if any he has to decentralise Government Departments to Cork, the second largest city, and to the Munster area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Decentralisation Programme.
32.
The Government have decided to reactivate the decentralisation programme cancelled by the previous administration and initially have selected four centres, Galway, Ballina, Sligo and Cavan to which sections of the Departments of Defence, Environment, Social Welfare and Agriculture and Food will respectively be relocated. The remaining centres in the original programme include a Munster element — offices for the Department of Justice in Killarney. The timing of the remaining decentralisation projects has not yet been decided. Cork already has almost 1,400 civil servants serving in the Department of Agriculture and Food (400), Social Welfare (160), Justice (160), Communications (90), Office of the Revenue Commissioners (400) and others (170).