Decentralisation Programme.

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Questions (139)

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

204 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Finance if he will state, in view of the decentralisation programme announced in December 2003, the properties rented or acquired as a consequence of the decentralisation programme in respect of his Department and of every State body for which it is responsible; the date of commencement of the rental or date of purchase of each property; the cost of each property purchased or the annual rental of each property rented; the number of staff transferred into each property as of 1 January of each year from the commencement of the rental or the date of the acquisition of each property in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5637/10]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan)

The numbers serving in my Department in Tullamore as of 1 January of each year is as follows:

Location	Serving on 01/01/2007	Serving on 01/01/2008	Serving on 01/01/2009	Serving on 01/01/2010
Tullamore	110	124	125	117

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the numbers serving in their decentralised locations under the programme are as follows:

Location	Serving on 01/01/2008	Serving on 01/01/2009	Serving on 01/01/2010
Kilrush	57	57	57
Listowel	52	52	52
Athy	48	74	73
Navan	—	100	100
Newcastle West	51 in Estuary House, Limerick	50 in Newcastle West	52

I am informed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) that the numbers serving in their decentralised locations under the programme are as follows:

Location	Serving on 01/01/2008	Serving on 01/01/2009	Serving on 01/01/2010
Claremorris	29	31	29
Trim	—	—	220

I am further informed by the OPW that the following table contains the property costs for my Department and the bodies under the aegis of my Department to date associated with the decentralisation programme.

Location	Occupier	Date of Purchase	Date of Lease Agreement	Date of Rent Commencement	Site Acquisition Cost	Annual Rental Cost
					€	€
Tullamore	Department of Finance	18/07/2006			7,400,000
Kilrush	Revenue Commissioners		05/04/2007	05/10/2008		85,050
Listowel	Revenue Commissioners		01/08/2007			244,924
Athy	Revenue Commissioners		01/11/2007	01/11/2007		231,554
Navan	Revenue Commissioners		25/12/2007	25/01/2008		575,360
Newcastle West	Revenue Commissioners	15/07/2005			325,000
Claremorris Temporary Accommodation	Office of Public Works		01/01/2007	01/01/2007		68,712
*Scurlockstown Temporary Accommodation	Office of Public Works		12/03/2007	12/03/2007		67,752
Claremorris	Office of Public Works	21/01/2007			2,500,000
Trim	Office of Public Works	12/01/2006			3,500,000

*Please note that the Scurlockstown office was occupied temporarily by 35 OPW staff up to October 2009 in advance of the OPW decentralisation to the new Trim HQ building in October 2009. This property is presently occupied by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

The decentralisation programme provided for 100 posts of the Public Appointments Service and 100 posts of the Valuation Office to decentralise to Youghal, Co Cork. The Government decided that expenditure on the acquisition of accommodation for decentralisation would be paused. No properties have been rented or purchased in Youghal and no staff from either body have relocated to Youghal as a consequence of this decision.