Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

What is the position regarding the current proposals for decentralisation? The Minister of State indicated that the bulk of the money raised will go to finance the decentralisation programme but no progress is being made on that programme at present.

Even in Tullamore, in the constituency of the Minister and the Minister of State, FÁS has run into severe problems. The Minister of State may recall he suggested that one sell old properties at a high price and buy new sites cheaper for decentralisation, as in Tullamore. However, the board of FÁS has reported that the price at which the site in Tullamore is now being offered is double or triple that originally suggested and, as such, is unacceptable.

What is the impact on the decentralisation proposals of the resignation of Mr. Philip Flynn?

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