Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Given the sensitivity of the discussions and the efforts we are making to resolve the difficulty, I am not going to negotiate in public in the House. I am trying to find a formula that will be acceptable to all the parties and will enable us to sit down and discuss the options we can provide for the future. Such a formula should balance the need for the decentralisation policy to proceed with the need to cater for those who want to stay in Dublin. We can contemplate certain choices and options, similar to those which are open to civil servants, in respect of those in the State agencies if we get agreement on the first point of principle. We have to get off the mark in that regard if we are to progress to proper discussions. Deputy Bruton asked me a specific question about the options which are available. Substantive discussions with the unions on those matters will best elucidate what those options are. We are not even in that position yet, however. Therefore, I reiterate that we need to use the industrial relations facility which is in place to ascertain whether we can make a breakthrough in respect of specific State agencies. The decentralisation programme, the rest of which the Deputies opposite are seeking to rubbish, is proceeding well. We already have 1,500——

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