asked the Minister for Finance the present position regarding decentralisation of the Civil Service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Decentralisation.
20.
The Government's decision that the headquarters work of the Department of Education be transferred to Athlone and that of the Department of Lands to Castlebar involves the building of modern offices at these centres. Work on the planning of these offices was put in hands following the announcement of the Government's decision and is at present in progress.
Consultations have also been held with the staff organisations concerned on matters affecting the staffs of the two Departments.
The Taoiseach mentions the transfer of the headquarters of these Departments. Does that mean that the Ministers accompany these Departments to Athlone and Castlebar or is it a transfer of senior civil servants without the Minister? If the latter how can a Department be carried on if the senior officers of a Department are 90 or 100 miles away from the Minister responsible for the Department?
As I understand it the headquarters work, as I said, is to be transferred. Therefore, that would involve the senior staff and, of course, the Minister too, but a Minister cannot be there all the time. No Minister is ever in his office all the time. In any event, the details of this are being worked out with the staff associations of the people concerned and it will take some years before it is fully implemented.
I think the truth is now beginning to emerge that this matter is beginning to recede into a period of years. But, quite seriously, if it is proposed that the headquarters shall include the Secretary of the Department, the permanent administrative head of the Department, is it seriously suggested that the Minister responsible for the Department should stay in Dublin and the Secretary of the Department should carry on the Department in Castlebar, or is it not inevitable that we are going to have in fact two administrative Departments, one with the Secretary and the appropriate staff functioning in collaboration with the Minister in Dublin, and a duplicate staff functioning in Castlebar?
All that will be worked out based on the practical experience involved.
Over the next ten years?
No, no.
Is it a fact that this has not been worked out and we have proceeded to build offices there?
I told the Deputy that this is being done.
But you just told us it has not.
Details, I said.
In view of the very close proximity of Clonmacnoise to Athlone and in view of the fact that Clonmacnoise was a world-wide seat of learning, will the Taoiseach consider in the plan of educational organisation and development in Athlone that Clonmacnoise will be borne in mind for both educational and historical reasons?
It will be maintained for what it is and that is the important thing.