I propose to take Questions Nos. 549 to 553, inclusive, together.
Details of the numbers of departmental staff who will move to Wexford, New Ross, Waterford and Kilkenny are found in Table 3 of the summary of the 2004 budget measures announced by the Minister for Finance on 3 December 2003. The number of National Building Agency staff to be decentralised to Wexford is also set out. As all of the functions of my Department, with the exception of Met Éireann and Dublin local services, are to move there, it is likely that there will be a substantial complement of grades in each location, although the precise details remain to be determined.
My Department has 1,137 members of staff at 22 locations in Dublin. This number will reduce when staff dealing with operational aspects of the built heritage transfer shortly to the Office of Public Works, which is responsible for all property issues relating to our current and future accommodation requirements. Information about the accommodation of the National Building Agency is not held in my Department. Arising from the announcement by the Minister for Finance, my Department has held meetings of its partnership committee and departmental council. It has also moved to establish an internal implementation team and will fully support and liaise with the central implementation arrangements.
Decentralisation is to be implemented on a voluntary basis and the question of disturbance payments does not arise. Staff transferring to decentralised offices will be able to access their housing requirements either in the private market or with the assistance of one of a number of schemes operated or supported by local authorities in relation to social or affordable housing. The operation of such social and affordable housing schemes is kept under continuing review by local authorities, under my Department's general guidance, in the light of local circumstances. The remaining details sought in the question will emerge as part of the implementation process.