The original Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department was that some 600 headquarters staff would move to Portlaoise; that some 90 staff in the fisheries areas would move to Clonakilty; that the local offices in Cork city would move to Fermoy; and that the laboratories in Cork and Limerick would move to Macroom. The decision regarding State agencies was that Bord Bia would move to Enniscorthy and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) would move to Clonakilty. Following the decentralisation announcement in the budget, the moves to Portlaoise and Clonakilty (including BIM) were approved by Government to proceed. The moves to Fermoy, Macroom and Enniscorthy have been deferred pending a review in 2011.
To aid continuity of business and maintenance of service delivery to stakeholders, my Department's original Decentralisation Implementation Plan allowed for a phased movement to Portlaoise. The 2005, 2006 and 2007 advance phases of decentralisation to Portlaoise were completed on schedule. Since the programme began there has been an increase in Portlaoise of some 300 posts across a wide variety of divisions, bringing the total there to almost 500 posts. Over 130 of the increase of 300 originally worked in my Department. The move of the administrative staff of the fisheries areas to Clonakilty, comprising some 85 posts, is complete. The Department's permanent building in Clogheen, Clonakilty, has just recently been completed and occupied. To date, the Department has met its targets as set out in its original Plan.
The date for completion of the original plan was 2008, which at the time coincided with the initial estimate of availability of the permanent accommodation. The site purchase in Portlaoise was completed in 2007 and the Office of Public Works subsequently announced a preferred tender as part of a public private partnership, including other Government offices in Mullingar and Carlow. Planning permission for the new building was granted during 2008 and the OPW is actively pursuing the matter with a view to a contract being placed ‘at the earliest possible date'.
A revision to the Department's Decentralisation Implementation Plan is now being considered, to reflect the changes to the timetable and the progress so far, as well as the evolving operating environment; completion of the programme depends on the confirmation of the date of the availability of the permanent accommodation. An additional advance phase has been agreed and is currently under way. Arrangements for support to Ministers in Dublin, post-decentralisation, are being considered but have not yet been finalised.
