Decentralisation:The Government's determination to press ahead with its decentralisation programme is reflected in the spending estimates for the Office of Public Works.
Some €200 million is to be spent next year on the construction of new offices for civil and public servants to be relocated from Dublin.
A further €50 million has been earmarked for the acquisition of sites and existing buildings required for the programme.
Building contractors are already on site at four decentralised locations, a spokesman for the Office of Public Works said yesterday.
These are Sligo, which is to have a new sub-office of the Department of Social and Family Affairs; Longford,
which is to get the new Prison Service headquarters; Furbo, Co Galway, which is to
receive 10 staff from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; and Tullamore, Co Offaly, which is to receive 130 staff from the Department of Finance.
Contractors are to be appointed in the near future to other sites including Athlone, Co Westmeath.
In total, the OPW is to spend nearly €257 million on the construction of new buildings, as well as alterations and additions, an increase of 43 per cent on last year.
The spokesman said about €200 million of this would be spent on construction projects under the decentralisation programme.
A further €51 million - a 64 per cent increase from last year - has been earmarked for the purchase of sites and buildings. Almost all of this money will be accounted for by decentralisation projects.
The Government has estimated that the total capital costs of the decentralisation programme will come to €900 million. It plans to relocate more than 10,300 civil and public servants to more than 50 locations around the State.
The OPW spokesman said spending for next year would focus on the departments and agencies identified as "early movers".
He said contracts had been exchanged in relation to 10 sites, the purchase of which was now going through the legal process.
These were: Carlow, Donegal, Dungarvan, Killarney, Knock, Portlaoise, Portarlington, Thurles, Tipperary town and Thomastown.
