Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 1

Written Answers. - Decentralisation Programme.

John Dennehy

Question:

165 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for Finance the plans, if any, he has to transfer the remaining staff of the Central Statistics Office to Cork; if so, the timescale envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3658/00]

Ivan Yates

Question:

167 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance if the Government has set out a timeframe for announcements in relation to decentralisation programmes of Departments and other State organisations to provincial or rural locations; the proposals, if any, he has to consider Enniscorthy, County Wexford; the criteria being put in place for the selection process of centres for decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3661/00]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 167 together.

I am currently considering proposals, which I expect to bring to Government shortly, in relation to a new and extensive programme of decentralisation which I announced in my Budget Statement in December last. Until then no decisions will be taken in relation to which Government Departments-offices will be included in the new programme nor in relation to the centres to which they will be relocated. I cannot, therefore, comment on the likelihood of any particular Department-office being relocated to any specific centre.

Until the matter has been considered by the Government I cannot give the Deputies details of an implementation timetable, other than to say that I would expect that decisions about those Departments-offices which will be decentralised and the centres to which they will be relocated should be taken by mid-year. Thereafter it will be in the region of two years before the first of the staff involved will be relocated.

In relation to determining the centres to which Departments-offices will be relocated the Government will take a number of considerations into account. These will include the infrastructural capacity of prospective locations; communications and transport links; the benefit to the local economy to be achieved by an injection of a number of public sector jobs the desire to establish a more even spread of public sector jobs around the country and the extent to which the centre would be likely to attract sufficient number of staff, most of whom would have to relocate domestically, including the availability of housing and the proximity to third-level education. I can assure Deputies that no particular locations will be ruled out in the consideration of decentralisation centres.