Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 October 2004
222 Mr. Walsh asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of requests for decentralisation to Clonakilty, County Cork; the interim arrangements he is making to facilitate an early response to this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26405/04]
View answerThe Government decentralisation programme involves the relocation of my Department's seafood and coastal zone functions as well as an Bord Iascaigh Mhara to Clonakilty. The latest information from the Public Appointments Service, formerly Civil Service Commission, indicates 140 expressions of interest had been received for the 91 CAF posts in the Department's seafood and coastal zone functions in Clonakilty. In the case of BIM, there are, thus far, 36 expressions of interest in the 93 CAF posts.
The decentralisation implementation (Flynn) group has indicated its intention to report shortly on sequencing of moves based on both CAF results to date, and the progress made by OPW as regards property/accommodation acquisition at the various locations. Developments in that regard will have a critical bearing on our arrangements for relocation to Clonakilty. In the interim, my Department continues to liaise continually with the Flynn group and the Department of Finance on relevant aspects of the programme. In addition, our regular consultations with OPW have included a number of joint visits to Clonakilty to assist consideration of the various site options. We are also engaged, as is BIM, in ongoing consultation with stakeholders, both internal and external, and, particularly, with staff interests.
