It will cost over €900 million to provide office space for the 10,500 civil servants being moved under the Government's decentralisation programme, an Oireachtas committee heard today.
The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Tom Parlon, told the Joint Committee on Finance that buying suitable sites would cost €100 million and office accommodation would cost a further €815 million.
These estimated figures did not include the cost of computers, telephones or other specialised equipment.
Mr Parlon, who has special responsibility for the Office of Public Works explained that eight properties had already been bought and a further 20 were at an advanced acquisition stage.
He said the Decentralisation Implementation Committee would announce a provisional timetable for decentralisation in the coming weeks.
The programme plans to transfer 10,500 civil and public servants to 56 regional locations. Mr Parlon said the cost of the programme will be offset by the proceeds from the sale of existing buildings and the surrender of leases on other rented buildings.
"Decentralisation is government policy and we are committed to implementing it in full," Mr Parlon said. "There are difficulties and challenges but we are confident of finding the solutions and pressing ahead.
He insisted that relocation would be voluntary and that staff who don't want to relocate would not be forced from their jobs.