Madam, - As a public servant in a State agency, I wish to take issue with the Minister for Finance's claim about the "voluntary" nature of his decentralisation plan (Opinion & Analysis, July 5th).
While Mr McCreevy claims the move is voluntary, in the case of a State agency employee, this means that a wish to remain in Dublin will necessitate leaving that agency for another agency or the Civil Service. This is in effect a dismissal from one's current employment.
It will also mean a change in one's conditions of employment. The differences that exist between agencies and within the Civil Service are quite surprising.
It is already a fact that many public servants who joined a State agency before 1978 receive an occupational pension and a State pension. But if they seek and get employment with another agency, they move to a co-ordinated pension scheme in the new agency.
This reduces their occupational pension by an amount equal to the social welfare pension on retirement. In effect, they lose their social welfare pension, having paid full contributions to both pensions over many years.
Hardly fair to public servants with over 25 years service. - Yours, etc.,
STEPHEN BATHE, Cherryfield Avenue Lower, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.