McDowell denies relocation scheme is a 'stunt'

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has rejected suggestions that the Government's decentralisation policy is an "electoral stunt" aimed at securing seats in marginal constituencies.

Speaking at a sod-turning ceremony in Longford, where the offices of the Irish Prison Service are relocating, Mr McDowell said the plans were about achieving "balanced regional development".

In a robust defence of decentralisation, the Minister also expressed confidence that civil servants would move in sufficient numbers to facilitate the initiative.

"There is no difficulty at all. I guarantee you when this project opens in the first quarter of 2007 all desks will be occupied and there will be no problems," he said of the new €22 million IPS headquarters, which is being built on a greenfield site.

Figures obtained by Fine Gael this month indicated that fewer than one in eight civil servants were willing to move under the existing plans, although the Government has contested this.

Opposition parties have also accused the Government of trying to use decentralisation for electoral advantage.

But Mr McDowell said: "I don't know one single elected politician who thinks it's an electoral stunt or a bad idea. I don't know one single party which is opposed to it."

"The Labour Party are whingeing on about it but, in fact, that's only because when they were in office and this country was on its knees they did nothing sensible to divert a really significant amount of decentralisation.

"Decentralisation has worked, and will work. There is just no problem with it. I don't know what people are getting upset about now. The only thing I think is the sceptics are being confounded because the programme is now rolling out and so now they are saying it's a bad idea in the first place. But the great majority of parliamentarians know it's a good idea."

Mr McDowell acknowledged the role of local Progressive Democrats TD Mae Sexton in "twisting my arm right up behind my neck" in order to influence the selection of the location.

The Minister also paid tribute to fellow PD TD Tom Parlon, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, for "driving the process" forward.

Brian Purcell, director general of the IPS, said over 60 per cent of its 158 staff members - who are currently located mainly in Clonskeagh and Clondalkin, both in Dublin - had committed to moving to Longford. He said he was confident of meeting a target of 80 per cent by mid-2006.

Asked about the cost of decentralisation to the economy, Mr McDowell replied: "What cost to the economy would we have if we kept all these jobs in Dublin?"