Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2012
531. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will provide detail regarding office rationalisation in Cork and Clonakilty as it relates to his Department and if specifically he will address therein the situation regarding offices owned or leased by his Department; the implications for staff involved; the impact on services delivered to the consumer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43337/12]
View answerMy Department has two Regional Offices, in Clonakilty and in Cork city and a separate office from which the Marine functions are delivered in Clonakilty. In order to leverage cost savings whilst maintaining the highest level of services to our stakeholders, I have decided to merge my Department’s Clonakilty activities in the Clogheen complex. Administrative staff located at Darrara will, on their transfer to Clogheen, take up duties in the Marine Divisions of the Department and their former duties will be absorbed by the existing staff in the Cork city Regional Office.
These arrangements will enable the Department to maintain service levels across the county with the result of leaner staffing levels into the future. It is important to point out that these changes will not negatively impact upon local access and services for local customers and front-line services will be fully maintained and public access for all of the Departments stakeholders will be available at Park Road. The Department vets, inspectors and technical officers will remain in place at Clonakilty to service our clients across all of the schemes that are provided from our Regional Offices. In Cork city, current services will continue as before. The future use of the vacated building at Darrara is a matter for the Office of Public Works.
