In line with commitments in the Department's initial decentralisation plan in 2004, an initial risk register for each area of operation was put in place. Building on this initial work, these registers were reviewed by the Department's audit committee in December 2004 and this review informed the development of the Department's updated implementation plan of April 2005.
In the wider context of implementation of the recommendation of the Mullarkey report, and to help deepen the Department's capability and effectiveness on risk management, the Department has appointed consultants with appropriate risk identification, assessment and management skills and expertise to further support divisional and corporate risk management. These consultants, who will particularly focus on risks arising from decentralisation, are scheduled to complete their work by January 2006. Pending completion of that work, it is not feasible to speculate on costs issues.