Following a detailed investigation, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) will shortly issue a comprehensive report to the Government on the effectiveness, flexibility and productivity of the civil and public service.
Reform and value for money are likely to be at the heart of the report. The document will provide an opportunity for the Government to review its decentralisation project.
It is eight years since Charlie McCreevy announced his intention to transfer more than 10,000 civil and public servants and the headquarters of eight Government departments out of Dublin. Details of that uncosted, unilateral decision were formally published in 2003 and the process of acquiring sites and attracting volunteers was begun. Now, the Minister of State in charge of decentralisation, Noel Ahern, admits that targets will not be met and has sought co-operation from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu).
There is a blind determination about the Government's approach to decentralisation. Having announced the transfer of public servants to 53 centres in 25 counties - and ignored its own spatial strategy in the process - it has behaved as if the only consideration is one of "bums on seats". It has failed to take account of the loss of corporate knowledge if senior managers refuse to move. And service inefficiencies, caused by the recruitment and transfer of inexperienced staff, do not appear to matter.
There is no reason why all public servants should live in Dublin. But the transfer of suitable administrative units to the provinces must be done in a planned and coherent fashion. And the quality of the advice and assistance provided to citizens should not be damaged in the process. There have already been instances where inexperienced staff took charge of rural offices.
A ruling by the Labour Court that promotion within State agencies should not be made conditional on a willingness to move out of Dublin has delayed Government plans. Mr Ahern is now seeking Ictu assistance in negotiating transfer arrangements between such bodies. It is a big ask, given the fierce resistance to decentralisation that exists at senior level within State agencies.
In spite of these difficulties, progress has been made. Mr Ahern estimates that 60 per cent of the transfer target could be reached by 2010. That figure is probably optimistic. And the net cost to date, allowing for State property sales of €500 million, comes to €400 million. The real concern, however, is that senior civil servants are refusing to move. In the circumstances, that OECD report could provide a useful reality check.