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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Decentralisation Programme.

I wish to share my time with my constituency colleague, Deputy McGrath.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank you for the opportunity to raise the matter of further decentralisation proposals which, I understand, are being considered by the Government. I urge the Government and the Minister to consider favourably Mullingar as the strategic location for the transfer of any Department or State agency. In the past there was acute disappointment that Mullingar was overlooked when the question of decentralisation was discussed, despite being in the heart of the country, a major selling point for many civil servants who would prefer to be relocated nearer their families in the geographical area.

I understand the Cabinet intends to discuss the transfer of more civil servants to towns and cities and it is likely a decision will be made to accelerate the process of decentralisation. I understand the Minister is engaged in a study. I ask him to ensure Mullingar is at the centre of any such proposal to extend decentralisation. Mullingar is ready, willing and able to accept any proposal to decentralise any Department or agency to what is a very fine and vibrant town. Neither I nor my colleagues have ever engaged in the politics of begrudgery. The surrounding towns have benefited considerably from the transfer of Government Departments and the accompanying jobs. I am pleased at the success of the decentralisation programme. It is an important contribution to the process of reinvigorating rural Ireland as well as helping to reduce congestion in and around Dublin.

Many civil servants from Mullingar and the surrounding towns and villages of north Westmeath have to travel to Dublin or elsewhere daily or weekly. They would be delighted with the opportunity to transfer to or near their home or to be in a position to apply for transfers to work in a decentralised Department or agency. They would be delighted with the opportunity to move back home and avail of cheaper costs of living and more affordable property prices. Some also travel daily on a rail service which Deputy McGrath and I acknowledge has enormous problems.

Deputy McGrath and I are proud of Mullingar, a place of great beauty which has much to offer. As the capital of the lakelands, it has much to offer in terms of recreational facilities. The lakes, Ennel, Owel and Derravaragh, are renowned for game and coarse fishing. The Royal Canal which will be fully navigable in the near future circles Mullingar and allows for leisure and recreational pursuits. A championship golf course, a fully refurbished and upgraded swimming pool, a bridge centre, a squash centre and an equestrian centre are among its many amenities. It has a tremendous array of schools and educational establishments. It offers a skilled back up service in banking and construction, a committed workforce and all the necessary infrastructure. It has excellent training facilities, an unlimited supply of clean water, top class housing, excellent health services staffed by excellent medical personnel in private practice and a highly qualified and professional staff at Westmeath General Hospital.

Will the Minister ensure Mullingar is considered favourably for any future decentralisation programme? Those who come to Mullingar never want to leave it.

I thank Deputy Penrose for sharing his time with me. Mullingar is the jewel of the Midlands, situated about 50 miles from Dublin, well served by roads, a railway which we hope will be improved, and infrastructural services. It has land available for development, sewerage facilities, water, schools, hotels and so on.

Mullingar has been overlooked for decentralisation. The neighbouring towns of Tullamore, Athlone, Cavan and Longford have benefited considerably from decentralisation. In the past Mullingar may have been seen as a well-off market town in the midlands, where the local community was well served. It deserves decentralisation. Large numbers of civil servants commute daily to Dublin while many other Mullingar people live in Dublin. They should be given an opportunity to return to their home base. In the next round of decentralisation programme priority should be given to Mullingar.

: I thank Deputy Penrose for raising this matter and Deputy McGrath for contributing on it. To date about 3,800 personnel have relocated under the decentralisation programme to centres across the country. Approximately 400 further personnel are in the process of decentralising to the remaining designated centres which include Dundalk, Roscommon and Wexford. It is expected the relocation process will be complete in about two years' time.

To put the scale of the decentralisation programme into context, it is interesting to note that of an overall total of about 29,000 staff serving in the Civil Service, about 16,500, 57 per cent, are located in Dublin and some 12,500, 43 per cent, are located outside Dublin. While not all the staff located outside Dublin relocated as part of the decentralisation programme, nevertheless it has contributed significantly to a greater geographical spread of Government services. Successive Governments have supported and developed the programme of decentralisation. This Government is committed to completing the ongoing decentralisation programme.

By way of background I wish to explain some of the issues which were considered prior to the announcement of the extended decentralisation programme. One of the first steps taken was that all Departments and offices were examined with a view to identifying sections suitable for relocation. To be suitable, sections need to be of a certain size to be viable and be sufficiently self-contained to be able to function effectively outside Dublin.

The locations were selected by the Government having regard to the desire to promote regional development, economic growth and a more even spread of public sector jobs around the country. The centres include Sligo and Letterkenny in the north-west; Ballina, Castlebar, Roscommon and Galway in the west; Limerick, Ennis and Nenagh in the mid-west; Cork and Killarney in the south; Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny in the south-east; Athlone, Tullamore, Portlaoise and Longford in the midlands, and Cavan and Dundalk in the north-east and Border areas.

The decentralisation programme was initiated to facilitate more widespread location of public service employment which would contribute to the development of some of the main urban areas outside Dublin, helping to reduce regional imbalances and the pressure on the Dublin region. Undoubtedly, the movement of public servants to the provincial towns has added to the social and economic wealth of those towns.

The current policy of decentralisation is not yet complete and there is no decision to extend it to other areas. However, the Minister for Finance is considering the many issues relevant to decentralisation policy and he proposes to discuss these with his colleagues in Government in the near future.

The case made by both Deputies for the inclusion of Mullingar in any future decentralisation programme has been noted.

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