Address by Revenue Chairman, Frank Daly
Official Opening of the Revenue decentralised office in Athy - 1st February 2008
Welcome
Tanaiste, Deputies, Distinguished Guests and Colleagues.
On my own behalf and that of my fellow board members Commissioners Josephine Feehily and Michael O’Grady, I am delighted to add to the welcome extended by both Eamonn and Denis to you today. Athy is the third decentralised office that Revenue has opened in as many months – you follow Kilrush and Listowel and as of today you can bask in the title of "Revenue’s very latest decentralised office". Not however for very long ----- I’m afraid in a matter of weeks – on March 5th Navan will trump you in that role – (not perhaps the first time Meath has trumped Kildare!)
Comimg down to Athy this morning I was remembering the hundreds of times I travelled through here when this was the road to Waterford. And I suppose it’s a sign of the great change in this country that while this is the old road to Waterford, the new road to Waterford is now the old road to Wexford! Decentralisation is yet another sign that changes for the good are continuing in our country.
A positive experience of Decentralisation
The key functions we are bringing here to Athy today are 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.
Important development for Revenue
Firstly decentralisation fits very neatly with our core vision that Revenue should be close to citizens – some of you might have different vision! But there is nothing threatening about that vision – it’s about Revenue being at the service of the community – a phrase that is at the very heart of our mission statement as an organisation. It means citizens in Kildare being able to conduct their business with Revenue in Kildare and it means that because the Revenue staff responsible for compliance and service within this county, are working in this county, they are better tuned in to the needs of customers and the commercial realities of business life in the county. It is an approach that puts citizens rather than officials at the centre of public administration.
Secondly, and that’s not to say it’s any less important, decentralisation to Athy today is important for the staff whose dream to live and work here is already being realised. And of course this Office will enable many others in the years ahead to live out similar dreams as we complete our decentralisation programme and as vacancies occur from retirements, promotions and the like. Because today, for Revenue, is just the beginning of a long term commitment to Athy.
Decentralisation as a programme has many advantages – it benefits the economy of the town involved, it benefits the structure of society, it benefits the business agenda of an Organisation like Revenue. But where you really appreciate Decentralisation is when you get "up close and personal" and understand the change for the better that it is making to the lives of real people:
- the forty plus Revenue staff here today who for several years have been getting up at 5 or 6 o’clock to commute to Dublin and maybe not getting back until 7 or 8 o’clock that evening
- husband and wife Christy McCluskey and Eileen Madsen and Declan Byrne and Ann Murray travelling every day for several years from the midlands
- Joan O’Connell who for 25 years has travelled everyday up and down to Dublin
- And the five staff from other Departments who have come to Athy to work with us – and whom we particularly welcome today.
But really everyone’s story here today is the same – the pressure of long commuting removed and the promise of a strong Revenue and other Public Service presence in the area offering wider career choice and potential for advancement in the future without the necessity to have to up roots again. That is a big part of what Decentralisation is all about.
Thanks
I would like to express my thanks and congratulations to the staff here, Denis, Eamonn and Divisional and District management, Revenue staff in Human Resources Division and in Information Communications Technology and Logistics Division, colleagues in the Office of Public Works developer Jim McCall and his team 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 particularly acknowledge today the dedication of the staff here in getting the whole operation up and running in a short space of time. It was I know a real team effort but I’m told that nobody will mind if I mention three contributions:
- Michael Mullen found the building and worked closely with the OPW on the design and layout.
- Liz O’Sullivan mapped all the incoming staff to work that suited them – this meant no impact on work output during the move.
- Colette Foley worked on the IT and this meant everybody could work from day one and to full stretch ever since.
- And of course to Eamonn – who has nagged Denis, Michael, myself and many others to death every week for the past year to get his pet project delivered! We are unanimous in suggesting that you might now want to go off and have a holiday.
Thanks to all of you all for your dedication and professionalism. I wish you successful, rewarding and fulfilling careers. I hope you enjoy working and living locally.
Finally, I would like to thank the Tanaiste and Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, for giving of his valuable time (in the middle of Finance bill and all) to perform the official opening today and for celebrating with us this move to Athy.