Decentralisation Programme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2008

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Questions (294, 295, 296)

Joan Burton

Question:

406 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number, in relation to the decentralisation of Irish Aid, of officials from his Department who have relocated to Limerick; the number of experts, whether contract or permanent staff who have relocated to Limerick; the proportion of the total Irish Aid staff who have been relocated; the number and the proportion of pre-decentralisation Irish Aid staff who left his Department or Irish Aid as a result of the decentralisation; the number and the proportion of pre-decentralisation Irish Aid experts, whether contract or permanent staff, who left his Department or Irish Aid as a result of the decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31988/08]

Joan Burton

Question:

408 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will list in regard to his Department and State agencies or bodies operating under the aegis of his Department, the original proposal announced in December 2003 in regard to decentralisation; the position in regard to each such proposed decentralisation; the number which have been completed; the number of persons who have been relocated; the number and proportion who have been relocated from Dublin or from other locations; the number of projects that have to be completed; the target date for completion in each case; the number of proposed projects that will not proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32017/08]

Joan Burton

Question:

412 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of civil servants and other public servants in his Department who had been decentralised from Dublin to other locations by the original deadline for the completion of the plan of December 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33059/08]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Peter Power)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 408 and 412 together.

Under the Government's decentralisation programme announced in 2003, 125 posts attached to the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs would decentralise to Limerick. The Division is the Headquarters of Irish Aid. Following sanction of an additional 20 posts by the Department of Finance in 2005, the total number of posts attached to Irish Aid Headquarters increased to 145. Of these, 138 are transferring to Limerick. There are currently 80 officials based in interim office premises in Limerick. I expect that the decentralisation of Irish Aid will be completed by November 2008.

Of the 108 staff assigned to Irish Aid at the time decentralisation was announced, 14%, or 15 officials, were transferred to other areas of the Department or to other Departments as a direct result of decentralisation. It is in the nature of the work of the Department that staff transfer between Divisions at HQ, and indeed to Embassies abroad, on a regular basis. This routine rotation accounts for the balance of the staff transfers from Irish Aid. While a small number of specialist or technical staff have left Irish Aid in recent years, none of these was a direct result of decentralisation. The detailed information requested by the Deputy is conveyed in tabular format below:

Decentralisation of Irish Aid to Limerick as at end September 2008

	Number
Number of staff already transferred to Irish Aid Limerick	80
As a proportion of 138 posts to transfer	58%
As a proportion of 145 posts at Irish Aid Headquarters	55%
Number of staff transferred to Irish Aid Limerick by December 2006	0
Number of specialist and technical staff transferred to Irish Aid Limerick	11
Number of staff relocated from Dublin	58
As a proportion of total staff relocated	73%
Number of staff relocated from other locations	17
As a proportion of total staff relocated	21%
Number of staff recruited directly for Limerick	56%
As a proportion of total staff relocated	6%