Official Opening of the Revenue decentralised office in Kilrush
Minister, Mayor, Distinguished Guests and Colleagues
Address by Revenue Chairman, Frank Daly
Welcome
On my own behalf and that of my fellow board members Commissioners Josephine Feehily and Michael O’Grady, I am delighted to welcome you to this new Revenue decentralised office in Kilrush.
This is a very important day for Revenue - in particular it’s an important day for the staff whose ambition to live and work here in Kilrush is today being realised. And although most of you look very young indeed let’s also remember the opportunities that this decentralised Office will provide in the years ahead for many others who would wish to live and work in this beautiful area.
My few words today will be brief but I cannot let this occasion pass without acknowledging the vision and the work that went into making today a reality.
Decentralisation
For Kilrush, today’s opening celebrations bring to fruition a process initiated in December 2003 by the then Minister for Finance, Mr. Charlie McCreevy when he announced the decentralisation from Dublin of over 10,000 civil and public service posts. Indeed back in 2004 when the Minister spoke at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Collector-General’s Division’s decentralisation from Dublin to Limerick, he said that he looked forward to the day that the further Revenue decentralisation to Kilrush would be achieved.
That day has dawned.
f course Revenue’s decentralisation to Listowel is also a reality and we will mark that achievement with Minister Noel Ahern and our staff in Listowel tomorrow. We would have loved to be going for the treble this week but due to circumstances beyond our control the opening of our Newcastlewest Office will not happen now until into next year.
Important development for Revenue
Let nobody be in any doubt that decentralisation to Kilrush, Listowel and Newcastlewest, is an important development for Revenue. It is important firstly because it gives our staff the opportunity to work in the location of their choice. But it’s important also because the clustering of these Offices around the mid West Region, combined with the already strong Revenue presence in the Region, gives staff in these new locations wider career choice and potential for advancement in the future without the necessity to have to up roots again.
I know in fact that right from the start, the management team in the Collector-General’s Office was most anxious that there would be a good mix of work in Kilrush and the other new locations so that staff would have opportunities for mobility and to experience a variety of interesting work. The Board was very happy to support this objective and I am happy to say it certainly been achieved as far as this new Office here in Kilrush is concerned.
The business here will include core debt management activity relating to the main business taxes for a portion of our customer base. It will also include the overall management and administration on a national basis of the direct debit system. This function is a key payment method for the timely payment of tax. Last year, for example, some €3.8bn was paid to the Collector-General through this direct debit system. So bringing that function here to Kilrush is a clear demonstration of our confidence in the ability of our staff here.
A positive experience of Decentralisation
The key functions we are bringing here to Kilrush today are also a clear demonstration of Revenue’s positive view of the policy of Decentralisation. That positive view is based, not on theory or case studies but on the real experience of our earlier Decentralisation programmes – these earlier programmes worked for staff and they worked for Revenue. So on the back of these earlier successes we are very comfortable about locating strategically important functions here in Kilrush today.
Enterprise House
The office here is, by any measure, of an exceptionally high standard. Quite apart from the excellent internal accommodation with state of the art furniture, IT infrastructure and video conferencing facilities you also enjoy a spectacular location. [I have a more than passing interest in the sea and I even catch fish from time to time] so the views onto the magnificent marina here make me envious and set me dreaming of summer days! It hasn’t escaped my notice by the way that the excellent view of the river from this Office is shared also by the main headquarters of the Collector-General’s Division in Sarsfield House. Perhaps this is all part of a secret formula developed by the CGs to keep you tranquil and calm the difficult job of tax collection. Given that today, 31 October, is a very significant day in the Revenue calendar as the Pay and File date for self-assessed taxpayers, lets hope that, just like the Estuary out there, we get a strong and steady flow of healthy and timely tax receipts for the Exchequer!
Thanks
I would like to express my thanks and congratulations to the staff here, Divisional management, Revenue staff in Human Resources Division and in Information Communications Technology and Logistics Division, the builders, L & M Keating and colleagues in the Office of Public Works for their efforts in making these modern offices available to Revenue and making today a reality. You can be proud of what has been achieved.
I would also like to acknowledge today the dedication of the staff here in developing in a short space of time the skills and competencies required for working in the Collector-General’s Division. The majority of people who are working in this office are new to the Collector-General’s Division and have come from a variety of different Government Departments and across Revenue. As a result, the learning curve has been steep but I know from speaking with Gerry that your engagement with the process has been excellent, ably supported by a very structured formal training and mentoring programme and coaching from more experienced staff. Thank you all for your dedication and professionalism.
I wish everyone who works here a successful and personally rewarding and fulfilling career. I know that this Office under local manager Michael Walsh will make a significant contribution to Revenue’s positive performance and service delivery in the months and years ahead.
Finally, I would like to thank the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Noel Ahern TD for giving of his valuable time to perform the official opening today and for celebrating with us the opening of the Kilrush decentralised office. The Minister has responsibility for the OPW and that Office has been very supportive of Revenue in many many building and accommodation projects over the years even in times of great demand on that Office.
Thank you all and enjoy the occasion.