Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

We have 158 applicants for 159 places in Knock. However, the applications do not all match the available positions. We have oversubscription in the lower ranks and under subscription in the higher ranks. The case is similar in the case of Na Forbacha where we have nine applicants for seven and a half places. One of the great mysteries of the public service is how we can have half a place, but Deputies understand how this works.

I agree decentralisation is a difficult change and that we must be sensitive to those who want to stay in Dublin. However, the point has been made to me time and again that nobody asked young people over the past 60 or 70 years whether they thought Dublin was the optimum choice. If they wanted a public service career they had no choice but to come to the big smoke. Nobody asked them whether they wanted to come to Dublin for a job or whether they would like a job at home.

It has come out clearly from the applications and the decentralisation process that there is a problem for those settled in Dublin. We recognise that and it will be dealt with sensitively. It is also clearer that young people would have preferred jobs down the country if they were there. There is no question that transition means difficulties. However, the place to which we seek to go will be much better than the place we are now which discriminates against those who feel they should have a right to a public service career without having to come to the capital city.

Another major problem in the public service, of which we are all aware, is that there is only a certain career path for those outside the capital city. For example, in my Department the highest officer outside of Dublin is a principal officer. This means we get a logjam behind some principal officers who obviously do not want promotion to Dublin. Most principal officers and assistant principal officers in rural local locations will not find many applications to come to Dublin. On the other hand, neither they nor the people behind them have any promotion prospects.

There is constant negative kicking at the decentralisation issue from certain Oppositions parties. They will not come out clearly and say they do not believe in decentralisation but want to put a dris chosáin in its way all the time. I am disappointed by that. They give no consideration to the denial of rights over so many years to people from rural areas to a public service career in their community.

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