Paul McGrath
Ceist:5 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the progress made to date on the decentralisation of 10,000 civil servants to the provinces. [14309/01]
Ceisteanna – Questions. Priority Questions. - Decentralisation Programme.
Considerable progress has been made in developing proposals for a new programme of decentralisation in relation to which I expect the Government to be in a position to take decisions within the next couple of months. Within the past couple of weeks the Cabinet sub-committee began its consideration of the many aspects associated with a new and comprehensive programme. Before finalising proposals for submission to the Government, the Cabinet sub-committee will address a wide range of issues including those relating to which Departments and offices should be included in the new programme as well as issues relating to the locations to which such Departments and offices should be transferred. The Cabinet sub-committee has been considering a number of options as to how best to progress the issue. Conscious of the need to accelerate the process the Cabinet sub-committee has established a small interdepartmental working group whose immediate task it is to focus on a couple of options with a view to assisting the sub-committee in the development of a programme for submission to the Government.
Who is on the Cabinet sub-committee?
The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government and I.
Will he agree that his statement on budget day in December 2000 was bit premature? He announced on that day that 10,000 civil servants would be decentralised. Only now is he reporting that some progress has been made in the recent weeks with the establishment of the Cabinet sub-committee.
The Cabinet sub-committee was appointed some time ago. Since the announcement in the budget in December 2000 an amount of work has been done in my Department. Individual meetings were held with Secretaries General of other Departments. I met many of them and there have been many informal meetings. We had more than 120 submissions from various towns and villages throughout the country and we have much work to do. We met trade union representatives who had an input into the process until they walked away from it on the basis that they wanted a number of other things considered with which I did not agree.
There has been more interest in this than in anything else. People from everywhere, including parts of the Deputy's constituency, have extensively lobbied me. It has proved more difficult and the level of interest is only matched by that in the special savings incentive accounts.
Will the Minister agree that he will proceed on a piecemeal basis, that sections of Departments will be spread all over the country as a result of political expediency to satisfy as many political requirements as is necessary? Will the Minister agree that if he takes that route of sprinkling sections of Departments throughout the country, towns such as Mullingar, one of the only midland towns which has never benefited from decentralisation and which could genuinely benefit from decentralisation and which has the infrastructure, personnel and required services, will miss out?
It is not my intention to introduce it in that way. A process as outlined by the Deputy might have superficial political attractions, but I will not do it on that basis. I would prefer not do it at all rather than do it in that manner.
That is reassuring. When does the Minister expect to be in a position to make an announcement on decentralisation?
There will be more places disappointed than pleased, something politicians do not like. I do not have a problem with that, as people know, and I hope to make decisions one way or another in the next couple of months.
Before the election.
Since my announcement in December 2000 it has been my intention to make the decision well before the election. Until dictatorial powers are bestowed upon me, and the Constitution is suspended, I must take this matter to other fora.