Vol. 576 No. 6
113 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the staff or staff representatives in his Department or boards or agencies under the aegis of his Department, which had been consulted in regard to the proposals on decentralisation set out in the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30281/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government decision on decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance in his recent Budget Statement provides for the transfer of my Department's Dublin based Civil Service staff to Newbridge and the transfer of Defence Forces Headquarters staff to the Curragh. Staff or staff representatives were not consulted in advance of that decision. However, all staff and their unions and associations will be fully consulted in regard to implementation of the decision.
114 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the selection process used to decide on each such location in respect of each location identified in Phase 1, 2 and 3 of the proposed programme of decentralisation set out in the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance, in respect of his Department, or boards, or agencies under the aegis of his Department; the other locations that were considered; the criteria which were used to evaluate different possible locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30296/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government decision on decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance in his recent Budget Statement provides for the transfer of my Department's Dublin based Civil Service staff to Newbridge and the transfer of Defence Forces Headquarters staff to the Curragh. A wide range of factors were taken into account and balanced in selecting locations, including the need to achieve a fit with the national spatial strategy, in terms of the gateways, hubs and their respective catchment areas, the location of existing decentralised offices, the desirability of clustering a Department's decentralised units within a region, the importance of respecting the scale and character of locations in terms of their capacity to absorb the number of new jobs involved and the existence of good transport links – by road, rail and air – and the general infrastructure capacity in the areas selected.
115 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the functions or sections of his Department, or boards or agencies under the aegis of his Department, it is proposed to decentralise in respect of each location identified in Phase 1,2 and 3 of the proposed programme of decentralisation set out in the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance; the grades and numbers of staff who will be transferred; the estimated total payroll costs of those staff; the size of the office space that will be required for their accommodation; the inquiries which have been made to date regarding availability of office space at each such location; the estimated cost of such office space; the estimated total costs of the decentralisation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30311/03]
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government decision on decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance in his recent Budget Statement provides for the transfer of all my Department's Dublin based Civil Service staff, numbering some 200 personnel in all grades up to and including Secretary General, to Newbridge, County Kildare. An amount of €16,389,000 was provided in respect of salary costs in my Department's Estimates for 2003, approximately half of which would relate to Dublin based staff. My Department has had no discussions to date with the Office of Public Works, which has responsibility for the provision of official accommodation for Departments, concerning the extent, cost or availability of office accommodation in Newbridge.
