Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Nov 1992

Vol. 424 No. 10

Ceisteanna — Questions. Written Answers. - Decentralisation Programme.

Ivan Yates

Question:

63 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance the level of decentralisation carried out and/or approved by the Government to date; whether decentralisation to the list of towns that have been announced for decentralisation projects prior to the Local Elections has been implemented with particular reference to County Wexford; the proposals, if any, the Government has in this regard; and if he will set out a timeframe for same.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

The decentralisation programme was originally announced in 1980. Following cancellation in the early 1980s by the then Coalition Government, it was finally launched in 1987 when the Fianna Fáil Government took office. The original programme involved the transfer of sections of nine Government Departments to 12 provincial centres — Galway, Sligo, Ballina, Dundalk, Cavan, Killarney, Letterkenny, Athlone, Waterford, Ennis, Nenagh and Limerick.

To date the programme has been fully and successfully completed in nine regional centres — Galway, Sligo, Ballina, Cavan, Killarney, Letterkenny, Athlone, Ennis and Nenagh. A total of 1,600 civil servants have moved from Dublin to these centres. A further 550 staff are expected to move to Limerick in 1993 when the decentralised office at Sarsfield Quay is completed.

The Government decided on 5 April 1990 to extend the decentralisation programme to include the transfer of sections of nine Government Departments to six important provincial centres of which Wexford is one. The other five are Kilkenny, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Longford and Cork.

As the Deputy will be aware the position in relation to County Wexford is that the new Environmental Protection Agency is to be located at Johnstown Castle just outside Wexford town. In addition, the Central Vehicle Office which is to be the headquarters of the new Vehicle Registration Tax Offices is to be located in Wexford town.

In Cork and Longford construction of the decentralised offices is already under way. In the cases of the other centres, officials of my Department in consultation with the Office of Public Works and the Department concerned are proceeding with the preparations necessary to complete the programme and these are at an advanced stage. It is envisaged that the decentralisation programme will be nearing completion in about two years at which stage over 3,500 civil servants will have transferred from Dublin to the provinces under the entire programme.