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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Decentralisation Programme.

I am delighted the Chair has given me the opportunity to speak on this most important issue. As most people will realise, Donegal has borne the brunt of devastating job losses during the past 18 months due in part to the demise of the textile industry as we know it. Having put all the eggs into one basket, so to speak, there has been a torrent of closures and general uncertainty. In rounded statistics, there have been approximately 1,600 redundancies in the county, 1,200 of which happened in my area. That has implications not only for the workers and their close knit families, to which I again extend my sincere sympathy, but it has a ripple effect on the economy of the county for businesses unconnected to the core problem.

While I thank the Tánaiste for setting up the Donegal task force initiative and congratulate the county manager, Michael McLoone and his team on the excellent report they compiled, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. The Tánaiste's recent visit and her positive reaction to the putting in place of an implementation group to help deliver the aims and objectives of the report was welcome news, but it coincided with yet another factory closure.

Inishowen has three relatively small but expanding towns – Buncrana, Carndonagh and Moville. Each of those towns in turn has been laid low by layoffs in Fruit of the Loom, the Dromont factory, Jay Bees and Fingal. Outside the major towns there have also been lay offs and closures in Malin Head, Newtowncunningham and Fahan. Inishowen is a peninsular unit and when one portion is hit the entire area is hit as workers are bussed from many rural areas to the location of the employment. Unfortunately, in this instance the knocks we have taken have been balanced – every section of the peninsula got a severe setback and there is not much left to lose, as we look to the remaining Fruit of the Loom jobs, some fishing and some farming.

Dealing with the textile industry would necessitate, in the first instance, the holding of a seminar within the county comprising all interested parties. We have people who have been made redundant but who are skilled. There is an abundance of work in Dublin but no workers. People are interested in setting up co-operatives but only at the start of a process. Experienced people are beginning smaller enterprises after larger ones have closed. We could work on niche markets. Companies are struggling on and hoping for what I would call divine intervention to keep them afloat and others are doing well. Surely in this mixed bag there are opportunities for pooling knowledge and taking an objective look at the overall picture.

The concept of decentralising Government offices or State agencies to Inishowen should be seriously considered. While I accept that would not solve all our problems in terms of job creation, it would be a boost, which could assist in maintaining the beautiful area in which we live, its shops, schools, public services and so forth. In this day and age emigration to America should no longer be considered an option by our young people. The people of the Inishowen peninsula are firmly of the belief that they have a lot to offer, given half a chance. That has been proven recently by the announcement that the Forward Emphasis Company based in Belfast will open a branch in Malin Head. Without being disingenuous to those who live in Malin Head, I would say it was generally felt that of all places in Ireland to which an industry would be attracted, it would not be to the empty Fruit of the Loom plant in Malin and yet, the Forward Emphasis group has been vociferous in extolling the virtues of the people and the location in terms of the many advantages they consider the area offers.

The task force report outlined in a frank and straightforward manner the issues that we want addressed, be it rail or air access for which there are proposals on the table, road or water/ sewerage infrastructure. Donegal County Council wants these aspects advanced. The Government also wants them advanced and, to this end, there is a commitment in the national development plan. I ask the Minister for Finance to expedite those proposals.

The report recommended a substanial increase in the level of job creation and employment initiatives from State agencies and all in a position to assist. I acknowledge the Tánaiste fully supports these recommendations. We can sell the advantages of the quality of life, the healthy environment, the relatively low cost of living, the easy access to all levels of education and the proximity to large thriving towns, ports or airports – the list is endless. However, at present we are not receiving the immediate injection we need. That rests with the Government in terms of its implementation of the decentralisation programme.

While external forces come into play when one talks about foreign investment, and we will continue to fight for this through the agencies, national support and recognition rely on decisions being taken here to put into concrete fashion what to date have been nice words and platitudes. In terms of those decisions that are in the hands of the Government and State agencies, I call for the Minister's commitment to recognise and assist us. Let prosperity and confidence break out in my constituency.

In my Budget Statement I announced the Government's intention to embark on a new and radical programme of decentralisation with the relocation of the maximum number of public service jobs from Dublin. It is intended that almost entire Departments of State and other public bodies will be transferred to provincial centres and, for the first time, the programme will involve the non-commercial semi-State sector. This endorses the earlier statement in the reviewed Action Programme for the Millennium, in which the Government reiterated its commitment to a policy of balanced regional development and set as a key priority the channelling of public sector jobs into provincial areas.

While some Government services necessarily have a regional structure, that is, the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, the extended decentralisation programme was announced only in 1981. Since then, 4,000 civil servants have been relocated. When the current programme is completed, in about 18 months' time, 14,000 civil servants will be located outside of Dublin. This represents about 47% of the entire Civil Service.

The current programme has seen civil servants relocated to 20 provincial centres in 19 counties, including Donegal. These locations were selected by the Government having regard to the desire to promote regional development, economic growth and a more even spread of public service jobs around the country. The Government is satisfied that the positive effects of decentralisation, including the economic benefits to host locations, a better use of existing infrastructure and the reduction of congestion in Dublin, outweigh any negative effects such as additional administrative costs.

In progressing the recently announced programme, I intend to bring proposals before my Government colleagues with whom I will decide which areas are to be decentralised and the provincial centres to which they will be relocated. Thereafter, logistical arrangements such as staff training and the provision of suitable accommodation will be addressed. Neither have decisions yet been taken in relation to the areas of work to be relocated or the centres to which they are to be transferred, nor will they be taken until the issue has been considered by the Government. I intend to request all Ministers to examine their Departments and the offices under their aegis with a view to identifying almost complete Departments and other public bodies for relocation. As regards the centres to which such offices will be relocated, the Government is anxious that decentralisation will continue to contribute to the promotion of regional development and the greater geographical spread of Government services. In that regard, no town or city is being ruled out.

I want to emphasise that I am well aware of the many cases made to me to include particular locations in the forthcoming programme and I wish to assure the proponents of those centres that all will be considered fully when determining the centres for inclusion in the new programme.

For the first time it is intended to include non-commercial State-sponsored bodies in a programme of decentralisation. Ministers will be requested to consider the non-commercial State-sponsored bodies under their aegis for inclusion. I am not convinced that it is necessary for as many of the non-commercial State-sponsored bodies to be located in Dublin as is currently the case. While the programme does not extend to commercial State-sponsored bodies, I would welcome a decision on any of their parts to consider decentralisation on commercial grounds. I intend to bring initial proposals before my Government colleagues shortly with a view to having decisions taken by the middle of this year as to which Departments or offices are to be included in the new programme and the centres to which they are to be relocated. Thereafter, the Office of Public Works will be charged with the acquisition of suitable sites. With planning requirements, tendering and construction, it is estimated that it will be a further two to three years before staff will begin to relocate from Dublin.

I assure Deputy Keaveney that I have taken note of what she said about the unemployment problems in County Donegal. I am very aware of what happened there in the very recent past and of the high unemployment levels there before the recent job losses. The Deputy's contribution did not focus narrowly on decentralisation but ranged over a broader remit. I welcome her contribution in that regard. I agree with her that decentralisation will not solve unemployment but would give the county a boost. I will bear that in mind when decisions are being taken.

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