379 Mr. D. Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of staff who have volunteered to transfer to Macroom under the centralised applications facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27166/06]

According to the figures provided to my Department, there are 87 applications to the Central Applications Facility (CAF) for relocation to Macroom across the Civil and Public Service. The Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) in its report to the Minister for Finance in June 2005 indicated that construction of my Department's laboratories in Macroom should start by the end of 2007 and be completed by early 2009.