Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 March 2004
81 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the sections of his Department that have already been relocated outside of Dublin to date; and the extent to which the workers transferred were the original workers attached to his Department. [9487/04]
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 up-grade 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 Deputy will be aware of my announcement in February of last year of plans to open a new passport production facility in Balbriggan during 2004. This will involve the relocation of 80 to 90 posts initially, approximately one third of which are expected to be filled by staff recruited from other Departments and offices.
