Cowen admits OECD 'caution' over transfers

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen acknowledged that a recent OECD report had sounded a note of caution about the Government's decentralisation plans.

"The note of caution indicated that a longer-term plan is needed in how the decentralisation programme will affect performance and meet the needs of the public.

"Such a plan would help to address the challenges decentralisation might present to further modernisation efforts."

Mr Cowen said the Government was mindful of the impact that decentralisation could have on services if it was not delivered with due care and attention, which was the point made by the OECD report.

"Of course, if one does not go about it in the proper way, those worries and concerns arise, but we are going about it in a proper way because we have had the experience of less ambitious programmes in the past. This is the most ambitious programme thus far."

Mr Cowen insisted that the question of decentralisation was not new to the public service.

"Previous programmes have built up considerable learning within the system. The turnover of staff can and is being managed in a way that minimises risk. That is a fairer assessment of what is happening."

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said one of the key tenets of the report was that 90 per cent of people working in departments or agencies could be affected by decentralisation, the central point being that there would be a complete fragmentation of the collective memory of the public service in the departments in question.

Mr Cowen said there had been significant progress in the programme. To date, 2,200 posts had been relocated, and decentralising organisations had established a presence in 34 locations.

More than 11,000 civil and public servants had applied on the central applications facility to decentralise, of whom 6,000, or 55 per cent, were based in Dublin.

Some 2,200 posts had been moved and a further 1,200 Civil Service staff had been assigned to decentralising posts and were being trained in their new role in advance of their move.

"Taking account of both the moves and assignments, almost 50 per cent of the Civil Service general service posts have moved or have staff in place with a commitment to move.

"The comparable figure for the Civil Service professional and technical staff is 25 per cent and the indications are that it is in the order of 20 per cent for the State agency sector."

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore suggested that it was time to take stock of the total decentralisation plan and carry out an audit to see what was practically possible.