Coalition partners: The official opening of the Department of Finance's offices in Tullamore, Co Offaly, provided an opportunity for Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Ministers to come together yesterday.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen and Minister of State at the Office of Public Works Tom Parlon, both local men, arrived in the rain to celebrate the first official opening of permanent offices relocated from Dublin.
After the event, the Ministers posed for photographs, smiling, while department officials gathered behind them.
Mr Cowen reflected on his close working relationship with Mr Parlon and said their presence together was a good omen for the future of the Government. "Some issues have arisen which have been dealt with by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. We'll leave it with them - it's an issue that needs to be chatted out between the two of them. It's been a very good Government we want to continue with it."
Mr Parlon said there was a very good communication channel between the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach, and also between Mr Cowen and himself. "Myself and Minister Cowen met last night, we're here now together, this Government is anxious to carry on."
In relation to the Taoiseach's explanation in the Dáil on Thursday regarding his house purchase, Mr Parlon said it would have been better had it been clarified previously.
"In hindsight it is very, very easy to have 20-20 vision, but I was quite happy with the manner in which the Taoiseach explained the situation," he said.
The new offices at Tullamore's Central Business Park, which have cost more than €7 million, will accommodate the finance directorate, the National Development Plan unit and the central expenditure evaluation unit.
The move from Dublin began in July and it is expected that 135 staff will work in the Tullamore office when training and transfers are completed.
Before unveiling a plaque marking the official opening, Mr Cowen said the move was more than two years in the planning and he was proud of the efforts of the staff involved.
He was also proud of the success of the decentralisation programme so far.
"Some challenges remain in relation to the professional and technical aspects of the programme and in relation to transferability of State agencies," he said. "I hope we can . . . achieve progress on implementation of the remaining areas of the programme with the other unions involved."
Mr Cowen also announced that the office of the Revenue Commissioners would be locating an additional 100 posts to Navan, Co Meath, as part of an expansion of the decentralisation programme.
Mr Parlon described the offices as state of the art, said they were a credit to the Irish building industry and a fantastic addition to Tullamore, which was "very much the centre of Ireland in terms of commerce".