Skip to content
Latest Developments on Decentralisation

Government must come clean on decentralisation of State agencies

Date Released: 27 Oct 2006

The Government should call a halt to the decentralisation of State agencies before even more Exchequer funds are wasted on this ill-judged and unworkable scheme, according to SIPTU.

Owen Reidy SIPTU’s State and Related Agencies Branch Organiser says that nearly three years after the government announced the decision to decentralise thousands of civil and public servants including over 2,000 State agency employees, little or no real progress has been made in making this a reality.

“The Decentralisation Implementation Group acknowledges that there are specific “problems” around decentralising State agency staff, yet three years on, the issues SIPTU raised from day one have not been addressed”.

“It seems as if Government Ministers believe that by merely repeating the mantra that decentralisation will happen and that the problems will be overcome is sufficient in dealing with the issue. Minister Parlon in particular seems to be living in a parallel universe on this issue. It is time that the government was honest with the staff concerned and indeed with the people in the towns and locations where agency relocations were promised and call a halt to this ill judged, hapless and unworkable scheme before significant Exchequer monies are wasted in building white elephants that will remain uninhabited”, he added.”

“The reality is nearly three years on the overwhelming majority of our members have no interest in decentralising and unlike their civil servant counterparts our members do not have the opportunity to redeploy elsewhere as their contract of employment is with their specific employer and not the civil service. For example, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, is designated to decentralise to Clonakilty and planning permission is being sought for a location yet not one of the staff members concerned wishes to decentralise.

“It seems as if the real winners in this will be property developers winning fat State contracts. Our members right throughout the sector are determined to fight to protect their employment and will not tolerate being used as political pawns in this form of stroke politics. We will campaign vigorously on this issue over the forthcoming period right up to the general election to insist that common sense and logic prevails,” concluded Mr Reidy.





Previous and Next: | Arts Council