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Decentralisation Programme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2004

Tuesday, 24 February 2004

Questions (302, 303, 304)

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

403 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department has carried out a risk assessment of the decentralisation plans announced by the Minister for Finance on budget day, in so far as they may impact either directly or indirectly on his Department, or an agency or body operating under the aegis of his Department; when he expects to receive the risk assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6011/04]

View answer

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

405 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of staff within his Department who have to date volunteered for the programme of decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance on budget day; the grades of the staff concerned; the locations for which they have volunteered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6041/04]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 405 together.

The number of staff within my Department who have volunteered to date for the programme of decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance on budget day is set out in the following table. A total of 526 staff out of a staff complement of 690 have replied to a document seeking expressions of interest in decentralisation. The detail provided on the attached table broken down by location and grade is not totalled as in many instances an individual head of staff has applied for a number of locations, thereby making totals by grade/location quite misleading.

With regard to the implications for the Department of Health and Children, of the public service decentralisation plan, my Department must await a decision by the Government on the location of the headquarters of the Health Service Executive as this Department's own reform agenda will impact directly on the decentralisation options available to the Department of Health and Children staff.

I trust that the Deputy will appreciate that my Department is not in a position to carry out a risk assessment of the decentralisation plans at present.

Location

Asst Sec

PO

Prof.

AP

HEO

AO

EO

SO

CO

Arklow

0

0

1

0

1

0

1

0

2

Athlone

0

0

0

1

2

1

3

0

5

Athy

0

1

0

2

2

1

1

0

3

Balbriggan

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

1

Ballinasloe

0

0

0

1

1

1

3

1

1

Ballybofey

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Birr

0

0

0

2

1

1

3

0

1

Buncrana

0

0

0

0

2

1

1

0

1

Carlow

0

0

1

1

2

1

1

0

1

Carrickmacross

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

0

1

Carrick-on-Shannon

0

0

0

2

1

0

4

1

5

Castlebar

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Cavan

0

0

0

1

1

2

2

0

2

Claremorris

0

0

0

1

4

1

4

2

3

Clifden

0

0

0

1

0

1

1

1

0

Clonakilty

0

0

0

1

2

0

2

0

2

Cork

0

0

0

0

1

0

2

0

1

Curragh

0

1

0

0

3

2

3

0

4

Donegal

0

0

0

0

1

2

1

0

2

Drogheda

0

0

0

2

6

1

5

0

6

Dundalk

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

1

Dungarvan

0

0

1

0

0

1

2

0

0

Edenderry

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

2

Enniscorthy

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

0

2

Furbo

0

0

0

2

0

1

1

1

1

Galway

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

Gweedore

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

Kanturk

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

Kilkenny

0

0

1

2

4

2

2

0

1

Killarney

0

0

0

0

3

1

1

0

2

Kilrush

0

0

0

1

1

0

1

0

0

Knock Airport

0

0

0

2

3

1

4

2

4

Letterkenny

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Limerick

0

0

0

2

1

1

3

0

0

Listowel

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

Longford

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

3

Loughrea

0

0

0

2

1

1

2

1

1

Macroom

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

Mallow

0

0

0

1

1

0

2

0

1

Maynooth

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

Mitchelstown

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

Monaghan

0

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

1

Mullingar

0

0

0

2

1

2

4

0

7

Naas

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

Navan

0

0

0

1

4

0

3

0

6

New Ross

0

0

1

1

2

1

1

0

2

Newbridge

0

1

0

1

3

2

3

0

6

Newcastle West

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

Portarlington

0

0

0

2

2

1

2

0

3

Portlaoise

0

0

0

4

5

1

4

0

3

Roscommon

0

0

0

2

1

0

2

1

7

Roscrea

0

0

0

3

4

0

1

0

0

Shannon

0

0

0

3

1

0

4

0

0

Sligo

0

0

0

2

1

0

2

0

1

Thomastown

0

0

1

2

0

0

0

0

0

Thurles

0

0

0

3

4

1

1

0

0

Tipperary

0

0

0

2

3

1

2

0

0

Trim

0

0

0

2

4

0

3

0

3

Tuam

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Tullamore

0

0

0

2

2

1

5

0

3

Waterford

0

0

1

1

4

2

2

0

0

Wexford

0

0

1

1

7

2

1

0

2

Youghal

0

0

0

1

1

0

3

0

0

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

404 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Health and Children the locations to which any part of his Department has already been decentralised; the years in which each such decentralisation took place; the total number of staff who are now employed by his Department in each such location; the number of such staff who were relocated from within his Department; the number of such staff who were transferred from other Departments; the number of such staff who were directly recruited; the total number of job changes and people changes which were required to achieve the decentralisation; the cost of the decentralisation to each such location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6026/04]

View answer

On foot of a Government decision in 1992, a portion of my Department, namely the General Register's Office — GRO — decentralised to Roscommon in 1996. In order to retain an acceptable level of service to the public, and to allow for the modernisation of the service provided by the GRO including the introduction of new legislation and information technology, it was decided to proceed with the decentralisation on a phased basis.

There are now 40 staff employed in the decentralised office. Of this number, three staff transferred from my Department, six staff were directly recruited, and the balance of 31 transferred from other Departments. It is not possible to give accurate information concerning people changes and job changes until the decentralisation of the GRO is completed. The once-off set-up cost to my Department, which consisted of furniture, floor coverings etc., amounted to €195,000.

Work is now under way on a new office building in Roscommon which will be completed by the end of 2004. The decentralisation of the remainder of the GRO will be completed in spring of 2005.

Question No. 405 answered with QuestionNo. 403.
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