Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
302 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science when the decentralisation implementation plan of his Department will be completed; and the reason it was not completed within the time limit set. [17765/04]
View answerThe full decentralisation of my Department impacts not just on the staff currently working in Dublin but also on the existing decentralised locations of Athlone and Tullamore. Indications are that staff working in decentralised offices will take the opportunity to further decentralise. Because this impacts on the entire organisation, the Department has decided to adopt a participative approach to drawing up the implementation plan.
The decentralisation group of my Department has been holding a series of meetings with senior management in all locations. This takes time but is necessary to address the concerns of staff, all of whom are directly affected by the programme. It will also ensure that the entire organisation will have an opportunity to participate in the formulation of the plan and will enable management to capitalise on the experiences of senior staff who were involved in earlier decentralisation moves. This initial consultative phase is now nearing completion.
