Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2004
466 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department has carried out a risk assessment of the decentralisation plans announced by the Minister for Finance on budget day, in so far 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. [6013/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra467 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 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. [6028/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra468 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 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. [6043/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 466 to 468, inclusive, together.
A high-level implementation group has been established in my Department, with representatives from the areas concerned, to deal with all issues arising from the decentralisation proposals approved by Government. The group will have regard to any decision of the central implementation committee that has been established by the Government.
One division and two agencies of my Department have successfully decentralised over the last number of years and I would anticipate that this success would be replicated in the current decentralisation proposals. The details of these decentralisations requested by the Deputy are contained in the tabular statement below.
|
Name of Organisation/Office |
Legal Aid Board |
Land Registry |
Finance Division |
|
Year decentralisation completed |
2002 |
1998 |
1990 |
|
Number of Staff as at 31/1/2004 |
37 |
206.5 |
154 |
|
Numbers of Department staff who decentralised |
9 |
25 |
5 |
|
Staff from other Departments |
14 |
26 |
95 |
|
Numbers recruited through Civil Service Commission |
14 |
89 |
0 |
|
Building Cost |
€4.38M |
N/A |
N/A |
Some of the information requested by the Deputy on the number of job changes, staff changes and costs involved in the decentralisation is not readily available and would take an inordinate amount of time to compile.
While the Department has not carried out a survey of staff within the Department, some 160 staff have indicated an interest in decentralising to various locations outlined in the recent programme for decentralisation. The vast majority of these applications show a preference for two or more locations in the same geographical area and are not confined to offices of any particular Department. This number would not include staff of my Department who may have been in direct contact with other Departments in regard to expressing an interest in decentralisation.
