The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, has announced a major decentralisation of his Department, with plans to open 10 new offices around the State.
Dr Woods said setting up the network of regional offices would allow his officials in Dublin to concentrate on policy making and free them from day-to-day routine work.
The move to regionalise the Department's structures is based on recommendations in a report by retired civil servant Mr Sean Cromien which was completed last year.
The new offices would act as "a first point of contact for schools, parents, students, teachers and communities", said Dr Woods. Up to now, he said, these groups had to contact the Department's headquarters in Dublin.
Each regional office will have a head of office and a small staff. "It will co-ordinate and act as a focal point and a catalyst for regional services and activities," said Dr Woods. Arrangements for the staffing of the offices were being finalised, he added.
The role of the regional offices will include:
- a first point of contact for schools, agencies, voluntary organisations and communities with the Department;
- information-gathering and dissemination;
- support of locally based initiatives to combat disadvantage and provide for special needs;
- representation of the Department on local structures, including drugs task forces;
- co-ordination across education-related services locally.
The offices will be in Waterford; Cork; Limerick; Galway; Sligo; Mullingar; Navan and Dublin, with three offices, to include Wicklow and Kildare.