Under the decentralisation programme, all Dublin based operations of my Department are being decentralised, with the exception of Met Éireann, ENFO and a small co-ordination section which it is proposed to retain in Dublin to assist with the Department's Dáil and other business. A total of 682 Dublin based posts will be transferred to four locations in the South East: Wexford (270 posts); Waterford (225 posts); New Ross (125 posts) and Kilkenny (62 posts). The programme also provides for the relocation of the Local Government Computer Services Board (91 posts) and the National Building Agency (48 posts) to Drogheda and Wexford respectively.
A site has been acquired for my Department's Headquarter offices in Wexford which are under construction and expected to be completed by December 2008 and ready for occupation from end January 2009. My Department will then transfer 270 posts into these offices, commencing in Q1 2009. An advance office was established in Wexford on 25 June 2007 and is currently staffed by 44 people. Of these, one staff member transferred from an original location outside of Dublin and one staff member was recruited locally. The remainder of the staff transferred from an original Dublin based location.
A site has been acquired by OPW for my Department's offices in Waterford, and further information is awaited in regard to the acquisition of accommodation at the other locations identified above. The Government decided in July 2008 that further expenditure for the acquisition of accommodation for decentralisation would await detailed consideration of reports from the Decentralisation Implementation Group.