Fine Gael and trade unions have called on the Government to review its decentralisation programme following a decision by the Labour Court. The decision prevents State agencies from linking promotions to an applicant's willingness to move out of Dublin.
Fine Gael called on the Government to carry out an "honest audit" of the programme.
The issue is expected to be discussed at today's meeting of the Cabinet.
Fine Gael deputy leader and spokesman on finance Richard Bruton said the Government must clarify whether the decentralisation programme in the State agency sector was still viable.
He said the deadline for the completion of the programme had passed but not one person in a semi-State body had moved.
Mr Bruton said the Government had to decide how it was going to proceed with a voluntary decentralisation programme when there were not sufficient volunteers.
It emerged this week that the Labour Court had ruled that the State training and education agency Fás could not make promotions conditional on staff being prepared to relocate to its new headquarters in Birr, Co Offaly.
The court said in a recommendation that staff applying for promotion had the right to be judged on suitability and merit alone.
The Department of Finance said yesterday it was considering the Labour Court finding. Fás did not comment on the ruling.
The trade union Siptu, which took the case on behalf of members in Fás, said that the Government should rethink its plans to include State agencies in the decentralisation programme.
It said that only six of its 383 members in Fás had opted to move to Birr under the decentralisation programme.
The union said that none of its 178 members at Fáilte Ireland had agreed to move with the agency to Mallow, and none of its 98 members in Bord Iascaigh Mhara had opted to move to Clonakilty while only one of its 89 members at the National Roads Authority had agreed to go to Ballinasloe.
Siptu's branch organiser in Fás, Greg Ennis, said the Government had to accept that its policy of compulsory decentralisation of non-commercial semi-State agencies had failed.
"It is neither realistic, nor reasonable to expect people, many of whom have 20 years or more service and family commitments, to move when there is no requirement for them to do so in order to carry out their jobs effectively," he said.
The trade union Impact, which represents technical and professional civil servants such as architects, engineers and archeologists, said that its members could also be affected by the Labour Court ruling.
Impact national secretary Louise O'Donnell said that professional and technical staff did not have access to inter-departmental competitions to allow them to take up posts in other areas.
