Vol. 576 No. 6
196 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism 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. [30287/03]
The Deputy will recall that Government policy setting out a radical new decentralisation programme which was to involve up to 10,000 civil and public servants was enunciated by the Minister for Finance in his Budget 2000 financial statement. Following that announcement, there was extensive consultation with interested parties including officials of the former Departments of Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, staff unions and the strategic management initiative implementation group of Secretaries General.
The detailed programme which the Minister for Finance announced in the 2004 Budget Statement sets out the next phase in the delivery of the Government's decentralisation strategy. The Minister for Finance met bilaterally with individual Ministers and Secretaries General in advance of budget day to brief them on the scope of the specific decentralisation proposals affecting their Departments and Agencies. At this meeting, the Secretary General of my Department was briefed in respect of the proposed decentralisation of my Department to Killarney and with regard to the three State agencies under the aegis of my Department which are also being decentralised. In turn, the Secretary General briefed the staff, staff representatives and the chief executive officers of the agencies, that is, the Irish Sports Council, the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland.
197 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism 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. [30317/03]
My entire core Department is being transferred to Killarney. The cultural institutions, the National Museum of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives, which form part of my Department, will remain in Dublin. Three State agencies under the aegis of my Department are also being decentralised. The Irish Sports Council will transfer to Killarney, the Arts Council to Kilkenny and Fáilte Ireland to Mallow, County Cork. The programme of decentralisation will be implemented on a voluntary basis.
198 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the legislation required to allow for decentralisation of any section of his Department; the section involved; the legislation which must be amended; the timetable for the publication of the legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30347/03]
There is no legislation required to allow for the decentralisation of my Department to Killarney.
