I propose to take Questions Nos. 448 and 473 together.
My Department is consolidating all Clonakilty based activities on the one site at Park Road, Clogheen in order to deliver services at a lower cost to the taxpayer while at the same time maintaining the highest level of services to our stakeholders. Internal changes are also being introduced on a whole of county basis to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and value for money gains which includes the transfer of certain back office administrative checks for our disease eradication schemes from Clonakilty to my Departments Cork city office. This arrangement will enable my Department to maintain service levels across the county and ultimately, across the entire country with the result of leaner staffing levels into the future. It is important to point out that these changes will not negatively impact upon local access and services for local customers, where frontline services will be maintained and Public access for all the Department’s stakeholders will have availability at Park Road.