Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2004
417 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the risk analysis and the cost benefit analysis which she has carried out or proposes to carry out in respect of decentralisation as it affects her Department. [19093/04]
View answer422 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the assessment which has taken place to date of the proposed move of the social welfare appeals office to a new location; her assessment of the risk of losing experienced personnel and of the risk of undermining the impartiality of the office by housing it in the same building as other social welfare activities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19469/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 417 and 422 together.
The relocation of business areas from Dublin to provincial centres involves a major programme of work for my Department and a formal project management structure has been established to ensure this programme is delivered in an efficient and effective manner. A key objective of this programme is to ensure that decentralisation is implemented with minimal disruption to customer service and to the 1,300 staff involved.
A preliminary implementation plan for decentralisation of my Department has been prepared. The plan includes an overall analysis of the risks involved and the proposed measures required to manage those risks. A more detailed risk analysis will be undertaken by each business unit involved in the programme over the coming months. Details of the costs which will be involved will be a matter for discussion with the Department of Finance in the context of the overall programme and in the Estimates process but in my view the long-term benefits of the programme will far outweigh the short-term costs which will be involved.
Following decentralisation, the social welfare appeals office will continue to provide an independent adjudication service to the public on all scheme entitlement decisions made in my Department. The question as to where this office should be located was given careful consideration as part of the decentralisation planning process. Following this analysis, while it is my intention to locate the appeals office headquarters in Drogheda, I do not agree that this will impact on the independence and impartiality of the office and, in that regard, appropriate accommodation arrangements will be made to ensure that the necessary degree of separation is applied. Furthermore, a comprehensive training and support programme will be put in place to redress any loss in staff experience arising from the relocation programme.
418 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average annual increase in salary costs, overtime and travel to, from and in the decentralised offices in the three years following decentralisation compared to these costs for those business units in the three years preceding decentralisation, in respect of the last decentralisation by her Department. [19108/04]
View answerThe accounts branch of my Department, comprising more than 90 staff, was decentralised to Dundalk at the end of May 2002. The salaries, overtime and domestic travel figures for the accounts branch set out below are based on comparisons of the average costs for the three years prior to decentralisation, from June 1999 to end May 2002 and the average costs of the two years following decentralisation, June 2002 to end May 2004. All punt amounts were converted to euro for ease of comparison.
The annual average salaries cost increased by about €93,000. This increase is mainly due to salary increases paid to staff under the benchmarking and Sustaining Progress agreements in the period since the decentralisation. The annual average overtime cost decreased by €42,000. The annual average domestic travel cost increased by €24,500. This takes account of increases in mileage, subsistence and public transport costs over the period. It also includes €9,600 which arose due to exceptional and non-recurring circumstances in 2003.
419 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons decentralised and the full duration of the project, in respect of the last decentralisation by her Department; the number of internal and external transfers which were required to obtain the requisite number of persons decentralising; the amount of time necessary to train decentralising persons and the percentage and duration of overlapping staff which was required; and the additional costs for overtime and travel and subsistence incurred. [19123/04]
View answerThe most recent decentralisation programme undertaken by my Department was the relocation of some 95 posts of the accounts branch to Dundalk. A canvass of the staff serving in my Department took place in January 2000 to ascertain the level of interest in relocation to Dundalk. Subsequently, in November 2000, civil servants from other Departments were invited to apply for transfer. Some 36 posts were filled by the relocation of staff from within the Department, 45 posts were filled by the redeployment of staff from other Departments and 14 staff were recruited directly.
The assignment of staff to the accounts branch was achieved on a gradual basis between late 2000 and May 2002 when the relocation to Dundalk took place and during which training took place. It is estimated that the average period of overlap was in the region of four to six weeks. An allocation of €200,000 was provided for in respect of overtime and travel and subsistence in connection with the project.
