Seanad Report: The Government was firmly committed to the completion of the entire decentralisation programme and was very pleased with the progress that had been achieved in the past 16 months, Minister of State for Finance, Tom Parlon, said. It was the Government's intention that the full programme would be implemented.
The Minister was responding to Paul Bradford (FG) who had asked about the current status of the promised decentralisation programme for Mallow and Mitchelstown, Co Cork.
Mr Parlon said it could be appreciated that in a programme of this scale, all individual projects could not happen simultaneously and some phasing was necessary.
The Decentralisation Implementation Group appointed by the Minister had announced the organisations and locations which it considered should be included in the first phase of transfers.
"In selecting these organisations, the group paid particular attention to the numbers of people wishing to transfer to each location as indicated by their first preferences shown on the Central Applications Facility, now widely known as the CAF.
"The progress made in each location on the identification and purchase of a suitable site or building was important in selecting locations. Business issues as identified in the implementation plans of the organisations concerned were also considered by the group."
Mallow and Mitchelstown had not been included in the first phase of locations.