asked the Minister for the Public Service if he is aware of the report entitled "Office and white collar activities: the role of Waterford" by Professor M.J. Bannon of the Department of Town Planning, UCD in which he points out that Waterford city has lagged behind other large urban areas in the growth of office-type employment; and therefore if, in the context of section VI of Chapter 4 of the recent White Paper he will take steps to rectify the position by designating Waterford city as an urban centre to which civil service staff will be transferred and to which a substantial new Government service will be designated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford City Employment.
22.
I am aware of the report "Office and white collar activities: the role of Waterford".
I should quote from the section of the White Paper Programme for National Development 1978-1981 referred to by the Deputy which says that “as a first step, the Government have decided in principle that a programme should be implemented for the transfer of at least 2,000 officers in general service grades in the civil service to about eight medium-sized urban areas in the provinces. The arrangements to be made as regards departmental sections to be transferred are at present being examined. Furthermore, the Government have decided that all new Government sector services will be located outside of Dublin unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary.”
In accordance with the Government's decisions as made known in the White Paper, steps are being taken, in consultation with Departments, towards the drawing up of lists of sections of Government Departments which it would be feasible to decentralise and lists of places to which such sections could appropriately be decentralised. When they have surveyed the whole range of possibilities, as thus revealed, the Government will take appropriate decisions. Where a new Government sector service is, in accordance with the policy stated in the White Paper, to be located outside of Dublin, the situation for the service will be decided by the Government.
While it is not possible to anticipate the Government's decisions on these matters, I can assure the Deputy that the claim of Waterford will be borne in mind.