Up to half of the civil servants due to move to decentralised offices of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in Killarney may not be from Dublin, it has emerged.
The department has been earmarked as one of the "early movers" in the decentralisation programme. However, based on current applications, many of the staff moving to Killarney are likely to be from the provinces, including Kerry and Cork, rather than from Dublin.
Some 130 civil servants are due to transfer to Killarney, beginning in late 2007. However, unlike some towns marked for decentralisation, Killarney is a popular choice and is already over-subscribed. Some 154 staff based in Dublin or in provincial locations around the country "which would include Cork or Kerry" have nominated Killarney as a first preference. More than 50 per cent of the total applicants are from the provinces, a department spokeswoman has confirmed.
However the picture may change as people accept or refuse other offers, she said.
Ten members of staff currently working in the department in Dublin have indicated they wish to relocate to Killarney, and the numbers of applications received exceed the numbers required for most of the grades, the spokeswoman said. The OPW bought the two-acre site from Killarney Town Council for €4.5 million. A design for the new offices is currently being pursued by the OPW.
Auctioneers in the town report that they have already received a small number of inquiries from prospective relocaters. They are mainly interested in detached or one-off houses outside the town, according to local estate agents. "Those with property relocating from Dublin would have high equity in their own property in Dublin and can easily finance property here," Tom Spillane, a local auctioneer said.