Decentralisation sharply criticised

Opposition to the Government's decentralisation programme intensified yesterday when it was sharply criticised by a succession of speakers at the Impact conference.

Delegates supported motions calling for the programme to be abandoned and warning of industrial action in the event of decentralisation causing any member to be removed from a job specific to their skills or competencies.

However, Impact general secretary Peter McLoone said the row over decentralisation would not derail the national pay talks. Siptu president Jack O'Connor had said on Wednesday that he could not see the union recommending acceptance of a national pay deal while the issue of decentralisation of semi-State agencies remained unresolved.

Mr McLoone said he had spoken to Mr O'Connor yesterday and been told the issue would not be raised at the pay talks, although it would be a factor for Siptu in its consideration of any deal.

Impact represents about 1,200 mainly specialist and technical public servants among the 10,300 whose posts are due to be moved from Dublin under the decentralisation programme. Only 158 of the 1,200 have volunteered to move, delegates were told yesterday.

Several speakers complained that, after 2½ years of talks on the issue with the Government, those who wished to remain in Dublin had been given no indication what their jobs would be.

Joan O'Rourke, an employee of the State brucellosis laboratory in Cork city, whose post is to be moved to Macroom, drew laughter from delegates after she asked them to cast their minds back to Munster's European Cup victory on Saturday.

"Imagine if, instead of Paul O'Connell, management decided to use Ryan Tubridy as a substitute at the last minute, because they thought he could do the job just as well. As a Munster supporter, how would you feel about that? Because that is tantamount to what the Government intends to do in its decentralisation debacle."

Several speakers directed their criticism at the Minister of State in overall charge of decentralisation, Tom Parlon. Architectural engineering and heritage services branch delegate Willie Cumming said he was part of a delegation that had met Mr Parlon. "I've spoken to many a plank in my day but this was the thickest plank I've ever had to deal with," he said.

Mr Cumming claimed that people who wanted to decentralise, and those who didn't, felt they were being used as "pawns in a political game".

Mr Parlon is to meet Impact representatives next Tuesday.