Madam, - I believe some of the comments in Peter Molloy's letter of January 20th have their basis in the rather confusing statements made recently by the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny.
I would like to point out that the ultimate responsibility for effective delivery of all public services, including decentralisation, rests with the Government and not individual Ministers. The Government is entitled to make decisions, in the public interest, in relation to these services, including their location.
In making these decisions the Government took account of a wide range of factors, not only the National Spatial Strategy, but also the desire to bring public services closer to the communities they serve, the need for balanced regional development, the provision of a wider range of work and career opportunities for Civil Servants already working outside Dublin, and the development needs of towns and communities throughout the country.
I disagree with Mr Molloy as to the beneficiaries of this programme. I believe the civil servants themselves will be the principal beneficiaries. They will be able to return home to friends and family, or to acquire an affordable and comfortable family home within easy reach of their workplace, while still maintaining career opportunities in the civil service.
Yes, of course others will also benefit from the location of a Government Department or office in a local town. Most importantly, the local economy will receive a significant boost. Such moves will also help to relieve the congestion, house price inflation and other pressures in Dublin.
I ask Mr Molloy why the programme should be suspended and handed to an independent body, when a decentralisation implementation group, chaired by Mr Finbarr Flood, is already leading its overall implementation.
This group has been charged with ensuring that the programme is implemented by Government Departments, offices and State agencies in a planned and structured manner. The group has already made key recommendations on the phasing of the programme, which have been accepted by Government.
Decentralisation is nothing new to civil servants, with approximately 40 per cent already located outside Dublin. The public service has developed considerable expertise in managing relocation of its services, including the effective hand-over of skills and knowledge to incoming staff. The current decentralisation programme is being well managed with phasing arrangements designed to ensure that each organisation's move takes place only when the property, staffing and business solutions are in place and operating effectively.
Perhaps the time has come for all to accept that decentralisation is happening and will continue to be implemented. The results of your own opinion poll, published last Monday, have shown overwhelming support for it throughout the country. - Yours, etc,
TOM PARLON TD, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Dublin 2.