Only three of the Prison Service's 130 staff have expressed a desire to move to the agency's proposed new headquarters in Longford. Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent, reports.
An initial survey of the staff suggests that a large majority are ill-disposed to the Government's plan to move the service to the midlands. The Government proposes to relocate the agency as part of the decentralisation programme announced in the Budget.
An e-mail circulated by management to staff, to ascertain the level of interest in the move, resulted in just three expressions of interest. Forty-nine said they did not wish to move to Longford, while 29 said they were undecided.
A spokesman for the service played down the significance of the results. He said the agency had not conducted a survey as such, but merely sought to get an initial idea of employees' views.
The e-mails had been circulated within hours of the Budget announcement, before staff had had time to consider the proposal properly.
A lot of people were uncertain and were waiting for more details, such as where in Longford would the service be located, he said.
People were taking a cautious approach, but interest was likely to grow as more information became available.
The spokesman also indicated that transfers could take place between staff in the service and others in other agencies attached to the Department of Justice.
"People who don't want to move to Longford, for example, might be quite happy to accept a position in Portarlington, where the Garda Complaints Board is to be based." The reverse could also be true.
He also denied that the initial negative response would cause problems for the Prison Service, given that it might have to take on large numbers of new staff.
The service had already been successful in bringing staff from different offices together at its present location in Clondalkin, Co Dublin.
"Our job is to implement Government policy and that is what we will do," he said.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has begun the task of examining the extent to which State-owned property can deliver the accommodation required for the decentralisation programme.
It is also seeking to identify privately owned buildings and sites which could provide suitable locations for decentralised offices.
Announcing the move yesterday, the Minister of State in charge of the OPW, Mr Tom Parlon, said: "We are really very serious about this.
"The impression I am getting from political heads of departments and civil servants is very positive."
Mr Parlon said the OPW would be sourcing approximately 182,400 square metres of office accommodation in 25 counties.
"My own view is that the Government is committed to this 110 per cent and this is apparent from seeking these expressions of interest and wanting to move very quickly," he said.