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Decentralisation Programme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2004

Thursday, 14 October 2004

Ceisteanna (69, 70)

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Ceist:

66 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether decentralisation as promoted by the Government cannot now proceed to the extent or in the time period originally proposed. [24802/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I am satisfied with the level of progress that has been achieved to date in the context of the overall scale of the programme and the timeframe involved. I note that in his recent presentation to the Oireachtas Committee on Finance and the Public Service the chair of the implementation group made it clear that he saw considerable merit in having a target timeframe. I am determined to drive forward the process of implementation and to ensure that the benefits of the programme are delivered as quickly as possible.

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

67 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Finance the way in which the proposed centralised application system will work for Dublin based civil servants who do not wish to move as part of the Government’s decentralisation programme in regard to the recent announcement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18313/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the central applications facility, or CAF, offers 9,558 posts: 7,213 in the Civil Service and 2,345 in State agencies. Separate arrangements apply for senior posts in Departments and State agencies and the Defence Forces and Garda Síochána.

On 7 September, the closing date for the preliminary round of applications, a total of 8,958 people lodged applications for or expressions of interest in a move under the programme. In the Civil Service, 4,236 Dublin based staff want to move out of Dublin either to the new locations identified in the programme or to existing decentralised offices; a further 577 State agency employees want to move out of Dublin to these locations, giving a total of 4,813 who want to move out of Dublin, equivalent to 50% of the posts available. In my view, these results are a very significant milestone in the implementation of the programme.

The CAF will remain open throughout the decentralisation programme to receive further applications and expressions of interest from staff.

At present, the Civil Service Commission, which operates the CAF, is working to produce lists of names, addresses and grades of staff who have applied so that detailed planning of the necessary transfers within and between Departments can start. It is expected that this information will be available soon.

The Government and the decentralisation implementation group, chaired by Mr. P. Flynn, have continually stressed that, as the programme is entirely voluntary, special attention must be paid to the interests of those staff who, for a range of personal and other reasons, have decided not to relocate from Dublin. The personal and career needs of those who opt to remain in Dublin are just as important as the needs of those who decide to relocate.

Discussions have been held with the Civil Service and public service unions on the procedures used to deal with applications under the CAF. A document which records the main features of these discussions on human resource issues is on the CAF website.

In the light of the information on numbers and grades already available from the CAF, further discussions are about to begin between the management side and the unions on the next stages of the programme. These discussions will concentrate, in particular, on the transfer arrangements for staff who have applied under the CAF for moves within and between Departments, and also on the most appropriate ways of supporting those staff who do not wish to relocate.

Staff serving in areas which are being decentralised and who wish to remain in Dublin will also have to be reassigned, if possible to other posts in their existing Departments and offices or else to other Departments and offices. It is clearly in the interests of all staff and of the efficient implementation of the programme that the approach to be adopted in managing this meets staff needs and the business needs of their employing Departments and organisations. Detailed arrangements for managing this will be an important feature of the new round of discussions.

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