The Government has failed to decentralise 8,000 civil servants, writes Stephen Rogers in Ennis.
THE Government has admitted it failed to decentralise more than 8,000 civil service staff because it did not prepare properly before announcing decentralisation in 2003.
At yesterday’s IMPACT civil service conference in Ennis, the union pointed out that 10,300 civil servants were supposed to have been relocated from Dublin to 53 centres in 25 counties before the election. To date only 2,000 have been moved.
Labour Affairs Minister, Tony Killeen addressed the union delegates, and afterwards admitted the practical implementation of decentralisation ‘has thrown up issues and problems that I don’t think anyone really foresaw’.
“It has thrown up a whole range of issues that probably were not expected. The decentralisation position of 2003 came against a background of very successful decentralisations previously, when almost in every case it was oversubscribed.
“They tended to be smaller numbers in locations that were attractive because there was not an opportunity to work there previously anyway. One of the issues in this round has been the scale of what was proposed.”
He defended decentralisation as a process that was strategically worth pursuing for the benefit of the country.
“Historically, the way it happened has not been good for Dublin or for the areas from which people migrated,” he said. “I think decision making based in a very small geographical area is not in the interest of that area or the rest of the country.
“So, I do think the principle is very good but the practical implementation has thrown up issues and problems that I don’t think anyone really foresaw.”
IMPACT National Secretary Louise O’Donnell said it was now time for a rethink, that the union was not opposed to decentralisation and had workable solutions for a programme that had ‘backed itself into a corner’.
She said stakeholders need to review each of the departments and organisations earmarked to move and look at removing those for whom decentralisation is clearly not practical or cost-effective.
An option which Tony Killeen said was being considered by government was interchangeability of roles between the semi-state or state agency sector and the public and civil service.
“He said the option had arisen in the past when technical and professional staff who would not or could not move might have been filled from the other sector.
If that is introduced to solve the decentralisation impasse, it could lead to the introduction of common terms and conditions and promotional prospects for workers in each of the sectors.
Irish Examiner
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