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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Dec 2003

Vol. 577 No. 5

Ceisteanna – Questions. Priority Questions. - Decentralisation Programme.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

12 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number which are currently housed in leased office space or premises in respect of the sections of his Department or boards or agencies operating under the aegis of his Department it is proposed to decentralise; the annual amount paid in rent in each case; when the lease runs out in each case; if there are financial penalties involved in the breaking of the lease in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31570/03]

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

15 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the functions or sections of his Department, or boards or agencies operating under the aegis of his Department, it is proposed to decentralise; the proposed location in each case; the criteria used for the selection of the location in each case; the total number of staff to be transferred; the discussions he has had with representatives of staff involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31569/03]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 15 together.

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.

A wide range of factors has been taken into account and balanced in selecting locations for the new decentralised offices. These factors include the need to achieve a fit with the national spatial strategy, in terms of the gateways, hubs and their respective catchments; 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; the existence of good transport links by road, rail and air; and the general infrastructural capacity in the areas selected. There are approximately 146 staff serving in my Department, 223 in Fáilte Ireland, 45 in the Arts Council and 24 in the Irish Sports Council.

The building occupied by my Department in Kildare Street is owned by the Office of Public Works which also leases the building in South Frederick Street and the Irish Sports Council's premises in Fitzwilliam Square. The Arts Council has commercial lease arrangements with two landlords for adjacent buildings in Merrion Square. The total rent is €249,748 per annum. Termination arrangements must be negotiated for the unexpired portion of the leases, 14 and 13 years respectively, and the council is seeking professional advice in this regard.

Fáilte Ireland staff are located in office accommodation at Amiens Street, which is owned by Fáilte Ireland and which houses, in addition, a direct training centre, and in leased premises at Baggot Street Bridge and Pembroke Row which accommodate 76 and 53 staff, respectively. The rent for the premises on Baggot Street Bridge and on Pembroke Row is €345,140 per annum, with the leases due to expire in September 2060, if we are around for that, and March 2017, respectively. It is not yet clear what, if any, penalties or advantages will arise in the case of the early termination of these leases.

The Secretary General of my Department briefed departmental staff union representatives and the chief executive officers of the three agencies on the day the decentralisation programme was announced. The matter was also discussed at a meeting of the Department's partnership committee on 15 December. I was to have meetings with the chairs and chief executive officers of the three agencies on 17 December but unfortunately I had to go to a funeral in County Clare and was therefore obliged to cancel the meetings, which will take place in January. Finally, for the information of the House, Deputy Parlon was not responsible for decentralising my Department to Killarney.

It is not Parlon country.

There must be no signs on the road down to Killarney. He must be going by rail.

We are lucky that some civil servants are being decentralised to Athy and I welcome it. What is the timescale for this? It is very important that there is no interference with any of the State agencies which will develop tourism and that they are not fragmented. In other words, the linkage between them should be maintained. Has the sub-committee on decentralisation been set up in the Minister's Department or is that in its infancy? Has the Minister received requests from civil servants seeking to be moved to that famous county, Kerry?

The Minister will be able to pop home for his cup of tea at lunchtime. He will enjoy that. I presume the Minister is going to consider the option of leasing the buildings, rather than terminating all the contracts. Keeping them and leasing them to someone else might be more financially advantageous than terminating the leases.

It is anticipated that it will take three years to decentralise the Departments. Every effort will be made to try and do it within that period. There are those who might say I could take out a consultancy on decentralisation so we will try to do it as early as possible. The assignment of the leases is important and I am sure the leases will allow for that provision to occur.

Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.

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