Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Apr 1996

Vol. 463 No. 6

Written Answers. - Decentralisation Policy.

Peter Barry

Ceist:

107 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Finance the extent to which the decentralisation policy has been effective over the past decade; the number of civil servants involved; the Departments concerned; the further moves, if any, that are envisaged in 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6932/96]

Minister for Finance (Mr. Quinn)

Decentralisation has made a significant, positive contribution to economic growth and employment creation in the centres which have benefited from it. About 2,800 personnel have relocated under the programme since 1987 or are in the process of doing so. Personnel have already decentralised to the following centres; Athlone, Ballina, Cavan, Cork, Ennis, Galway, Kilkenny, Killarney, Limerick, Letterkenny, Longford, Nenagh, Sligo and Tullamore.

Approximately 1,450 further personnel are due to decentralise to the remaining designated centres of Kilkenny, Waterford, Dundalk, Wexford and Roscommon.

The new offices in Portlaoise will open shortly and work will get under way on projects in Kilkenny (Phase II), Waterford and Wexford during this year.

The number of civil servants decentralised, the Departments and Offices involved and the locations to which they have moved are set out in the table attached.

Government's Decentralisation Programme 1/4/1996

Department-Office	Location	Number of staff
Social Welfare	Sligo	408
	Letterkenny	170
Social Welfare	Longford	189
Justice	Killarney	126
Agriculture and Food	Cavan	125
Education	Athlone	171
Environment	Ballina	114
Revenue	Ennis	124
	Nenagh	200
Revenue(¹)	Limerick	550
CSO(²)	Cork	385
Total		2,753

Notes:

(¹) To date, 534 civil servants have located to Limerick, with about 16 more to follow.

(²) To date, 362 civil servants have located in Cork.

Ongoing and future decentralisation plans are as follows:

Department-Office	Location	Number of staff
OPW/Enterprise and Employment	Kilkenny	125-150
Social Welfare/ Other	Waterford	150-200
Other/Revenue (4)	Dundalk	125-150
Education (5)	Tullamore	175
Environment/ Revenue (6)	Wexford	150-200
Agriculture (7)	Portlaoise	150-200
Health	Roscommon	50
Agriculture (8)	Wexford	350
Total		1,275-1,475

(4) 88 Revenue staff have been assigned to Dundalk.

(5) To date, 137 civil servants are in place.

(6) 37 Revenue staff have been assigned to Wexford.

(7) To date, 113 civil servants arein situ.

(8) The transfer is projected to take place around summer 1998.