Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2004
33 Dr. Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her Department has carried out a risk assessment of the decentralisation plans announced on budget day, in so far as they may impact, either directly or indirectly, on her Department or on any agency or body operating under the aegis of her Department; when she expects to receive the risk assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13844/04]
View answerAs part of the decentralisation programme announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget 2004 speech, 250 staff of my Department are to decentralise to Carlow. Four agencies operating under the aegis of my Department — FÁS, the National Standards Authority of Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority and Enterprise Ireland — will also be relocating to a number of areas around the country. A decentralisation implementation committee has been established within my Department to develop the decentralisation proposals and to drive the process across the Department and its agencies.
My Department and the relevant agencies are, along with all other decentralising public bodies, engaging with the Department of Finance in a series of seminars developed by them to assist decentralising bodies in the preparation of their implementation plans, as required by the Report of the Decentralisation Implementation Group, or the Flynn group, and due to be completed by the end of this month. Further details on the risk assessment exercises will be contained in these implementation plans.
In parallel, a risk assessment framework, which will assess direct and indirect risks, threats to, and opportunities for the synergies between my Department and its agencies following decentralisation, is in preparation within my Department. This will be used as a framework within which a risk assessment in the areas of the Department which are to be decentralised will be carried out. A separate business process re-engineering exercise will also be undertaken, where appropriate. While it is not yet possible to provide an exact timeframe for the completion of this risk assessment, I am satisfied that a thorough risk assessment will be prepared as soon as possible.
The agencies have indicated that they will undertake separate risk assessments within their own organisations to identify possible issues with regard to their own operations.
