This article is from page 2 of the 2006-04-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THE lease for the decentralisation offices due to open in Kilrush in November has finally been signed, but the Office of Public Works is remaining tight-lipped as to its exact location.
It is, however, believed that the new offices are to be located in Cappa.
A third of the 50 Revenue Commission staff destined for the west Clare town are believed to be coming from Ennis, another third from Limerick and one third from Dublin.
So popular a location is Kilrush for Irish civil servants, the 50 positions could be filled twice over, according to west Clare politicians.
Welcoming the successful negotiation of the lease, Kilrush Senator Brendan Daly said, “The fact the assigned building is already there means decentralisation will take place quicker than anticipated and ahead of schedule.”
While other towns across the country, including Shannon have been struggling to encourage civil servants to relocate, Kilrush has never had a problem enticing the government staff west.
Shannon Development’s John Quinlivan said that he influx of civil servants to the town would encourage further service industries in the town.
“It will create a vibrancy in the town,” he told The Clare People .
Mr Quinlivan along with Kilrush Town Council’s Marketing Manager Siobhan Curran are members of the Integrated Shannon Decentralisation Network (ISDN) which was established in November 2000 to promote a joint approach to decentralisation by the towns of Kilrush, Listowel and Newcastle West.
The ISDN is a partnership between Shannon Development, Town Councils in Kilrush and Listowel and the Community Council in Newcastle West together with the area representatives of Limerick County Council and supported by the Chamber of Commerce in each town.
The group met with the Minister of State at the Department of Finance Tom Parlon last week to discuss the next step in the decentralisation programme.
The ISDN also facilitated a familiarisation trip for senior Revenue Staff and produced a guidebook on the services in each of the three towns, which was distributed to Revenue staff that expressed an interest in the towns.
The Minister and his officials confirmed that property solutions were complete in Kilrush and Listowel and leases had been signed on premises. A total of 50 staff would be operating from each of these offices in November 2006. A property had been purchased in Newcastle West and a contractor would be on site by autumn 2006.