Vol. 449 No. 7
39 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Finance if he has examined the circumstances surrounding the transfer of ordnance survey staff from Galway to Tuam; if so, his views on whether the decision should be reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4399/95]
The decision to open six regional offices of the Ordnance Survey, including the office in Tuam, was announced in November 1990 by the then Minister for Finance, Deputy Albert Reynolds. With the opening of the Tuam office in December 1994, all six offices have now been opened.
I have had this matter carefully examined.The decision to open regional offices arose out of developments in mapping technology, whereby it was no longer necessary to have Ordnance Survey field staff dispersed throughout the country. The original plan was that all the field staff would have been required to take up duty at the Headquarters of the Ordnance Survey in Dublin. However, in order to facilitate the field staff and minimise the disruption in their lives that a move to Dublin would have entailed, it was decided to establish regional offices. The selection of the locations for the regional offices took into account: (i) the advice of the Office of Public Works as to the availability of office accommodation; (ii) the existing distribution of field staff; (iii) the Ordnance Survey's work programme; (iv) the Government's decentralisation plan.
