I propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 166 and 168 to 170, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the decentralisation implementation group, chaired by Mr. Phil Flynn, in its first report dated 31 March 2004, recommended that each organisation participating in the decentralisation programme should prepare its own implementation plan and submit it to the group. Officials in my Department are finalising the Department's initial implementation plan, which will address the main issues arising from the decentralisation of the Department to Killarney. The plans will be further developed as additional information becomes available in respect of the issues relating to people, property and business, as identified in the Flynn report.
The plan identifies the main risks associated with the move and outlines strategies to mitigate such risks. The Secretary General of my Department is particularly conscious of the issues, such as service and business continuity, efficiency and effectiveness and financial implications, and intends that strategies will be put in place to minimise any such risks. I am happy to arrange for the publication of my Department's plan and the plans of the agencies under my Department's aegis as soon as possible after the plans have been made available to the implementation group and to staff interests.
As regards the issue of public financial procedures generally, I assure the Deputy that along with the management advisory committee — MAC — in my Department, I review all ongoing programmes and potential future activities on a regular basis. As required in the public financial procedures, the Secretary General and officials of my Department provide me with full and comprehensive briefing, including relevant financial considerations, regarding the preparation and implementation of policy proposals relating to expenditure. In addition, there is an ongoing awareness in my Department of the type of risks identified in paragraph 6.31 of the report of the working group on the accountability of Secretaries General and Accounting Officers, the Mullarkey report. I confirm that all of these issues are regularly addressed in my Department.
I would have no difficulty in ensuring that my Department's annual report for 2004 will contain an assessment of the risks associated with decentralisation and the strategies that my Department proposes to overcome such risks.