FG attacks 'cynical' Government policy on decentralisation

Fine Gael has accused the Government of "cynicism and dishonesty", and of trying to hide behind the decentralisation implementation body over the low numbers willing to relocate from State agencies.

Party spokesman Richard Bruton claimed that in the four years since the decentralisation proposal was introduced, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen had failed to come up with a solution for agencies where "tiny numbers are indicating a willingness to move with their job". There "is an onus on the political masters who introduced this scheme to stand up and take responsibility and to come up with proposals to deal with this issue", he said.

Mr Cowen however claimed that the only cynicism and consistent negativity came from the Opposition who spoke "from both sides of their mouths", but "at local level I can show you cuttings from every local newspaper where they proclaim their support".

Mr Bruton said: "We have bodies like Bord Fáilte, where no people have indicated a willingness to go, the National Roads Authority where one person has indicated a willingness, and two in the Irish Aviation Authority. These are important agencies. There are many agencies where tiny numbers are indicating a willingness to move with their job."

Mr Cowen said 30 agencies were due to relocate involving 2,340 personnel. He acknowledged that the implementation body has made it clear it will need a breakthrough in relation to the State agencies to try and get it up and running to the same extent as the Civil Service.

He said decentralisation is progressing satisfactorily. Some 10,600 people had applied to decentralise, and by the end of April 2,700 staff had been assigned to decentralised jobs and 1,000 more will be in place this summer in 20 new locations. Mr Cowen predicted that by the end of 2007 about 2,000 people would be transferred to 33 decentralisation towns.

Mr Bruton said: "it is cynical and dishonest to continue this pretence that there is some independent group who has responsibility for this and Ministers run away from it".

"You can't play free and loose with people's lives in this way and not be answerable here in the House, and pretend that some agency is the one who's answerable. Politicians are there to solve these problems," Mr Bruton said.