Vol. 498 No. 1
199 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if there is a list of applicants at clerical officer level within his Department who wish to locate in County Kilkenny; the way in which this list is prioritised; the number of transfers granted from the list to County Kilkenny; if the list will be depleted in view of the new decentralised offices in Kilkenny; his views on the present system; and the changes, if any, planned in this regard. [26646/98]
My Department has offices in Kilkenny and consequently has a transfer list for clerical officers wishing to transfer to that region. Applications from civil servants in all Departments are accepted and the list is prioritised by the date of application.
As the transfer list has been in operation since 1978 it is difficult to indicate precisely how many transfers have been granted from the list. While the recent decentralisation by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Office of Public Works has reduced the numbers on the list it is unlikely that it will remain permanently depleted, given the level of interest in transfer to that region.
The transfer system in operation by all Departments follows the procedures established under the conciliation and arbitration scheme for the Civil Service and I am not aware of proposals to change some.
