Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2004
259 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has carried out a risk assessment of the decentralisation plans announced by the Minister for Finance on budget day, insofar as they may impact either directly or indirectly on his Department, or an agency or body operating under the aegis of his Department; when he expects to receive the risk assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6007/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Government's recently announced decentralisation programme, the Development Co-operation Directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs is scheduled for decentralisation to Limerick. This will involve the relocation to Limerick of some 130 posts. Departmental staff are also expected to apply to decentralise to some of the other 52 centres.
The Deputy will be aware that, in addition to a passport office in Cork and a new passport facility being established in Balbriggan, this Department also has 67 resident diplomatic and consular missions abroad, with which Dublin-based staff liaise on a daily basis, by e-mail, fax, telephone and video conference facility. The decision to relocate the Development Co-operation Directorate to Limerick does not, therefore, pose any exceptional problem for the efficient and effective operation of the Department in general, or the directorate itself in particular.
The decentralisation programme poses certain challenges for the Department. I am confident that, with careful planning, these challenges will be met. Measures to minimise potential risks to efficiency and effectiveness, particularly in the period leading up to, during and following the decentralisation to Limerick, will be planned and overseen by the Department's recently established decentralisation committee.
260 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the locations to which any part of his Department has already been decentralised; the years in which each such decentralisation took place; the total number of staff who are now employed by his Department in each such location; the number of such staff who were relocated from within his Department; the number of such staff who were transferred from other Departments; the number of such staff who were directly recruited; the total number of job changes and people changes which were required to achieve the decentralisation; the cost of the decentralisation to each such location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6022/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Foreign Affairs established a passport sub-office in Cork city in 1987. Two of the original three posts were filled from within the Department. The third officer came from another Department. The staffing complement of the office has increased in the intervening years, as a consequence of its upgrade to full passport-issuing status with responsibility for processing all applications from the Munster area, and in line with significant annual increases in passport demand since 1987. The office's current staff complement is 56 posts.
The Office of Public Works is responsible for the provision of office accommodation. No significant costs arose for the Department of Foreign Affairs in connection with the establishment of the office in Cork. The Deputy will be aware of my announcement a year ago of plans to open a new passport production facility in Balbriggan during 2004. This will involve the relocation of some 80-90 posts initially, approximately one third of which are expected to be filled by staff recruited from other Government Departments and offices.
261 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff within his Department who have to date volunteered for the programme of decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance on budget day; the grades of the staff concerned; the locations for which they have volunteered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6037/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of important questions relating to decentralisation remain to be clarified. In particular, the timing of moves will be a central issue. In this context we would wish to be in a position to give staff as much information as possible prior to asking them to indicate whether they wish to decentralise. The content of the central implementation plan report, to be prepared by the implementation committee for the Cabinet sub-committee on decentralisation by the end of March, will be of particular relevance in this regard. I anticipate that the Department of Foreign Affairs will conduct a decentralisation survey shortly after the presentation of that report.
