Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is. According to the record, the Deputy's attempt to suggest that the Taoiseach stated otherwise is not correct. The Taoiseach indicated and acknowledged that positions put to the group by certain elements of the Civil Service will be discussed. However, that does not mean we have decided to proceed as they have suggested and forget about our own plans, as those plans are in place on the basis of discussions.

Like us, I presume the Deputy wants to ensure that we have a situation whereby we have successfully implemented the decentralisation programme. We cannot have parallel systems, that is, two identical Departments in different locations. A Department will relocate if that decision has been made. We will carry out such relocations in the same way that we have successfully relocated large numbers of civil servants and others previously, although not to the same extent.

Already, 200 posts have moved out of Dublin and more than 1,700 have been assigned to posts that will decentralise, representing more than 20% of the total number of Civil Service posts relocating under the programme. The property acquisition negotiations have been completed or are significantly advanced in 30 locations and all decentralising organisations have produced implementation plans setting out the detailed arrangements they are putting in place to plan for relocation while also ensuring business continuity and the effective delivery of services to consumers. The implementation group has held a series of meetings with Secretaries General involved in the programme to discuss the planning framework, assess progress and hear about the challenges arising and steps proposed to address them. The group is also meeting chief executives of a number of State agencies.

There are areas in which we are not making as much progress as we would like and a ground-breaking initiative is required, especially in the State agency area. Taking FÁS as an example, entering an industrial relations process and working through issues is the best way forward. I was told during my last Question Time that such would not happen, but it has and is continuing. While it does not guarantee a successful outcome, it places the matter in a process whereby people are engaged in dialogue rather than a stand-off, where people would put forward different positions and the issue goes nowhere despite some of their organisations' members wanting to relocate. Like others, those people must also be represented.

Points about the implementation group's proposals and how they are proceeding have been raised by various groups, but the basic policy remains. The Government's position is to decentralise. The Taoiseach was acknowledging that the discussion had taken place, but he was not accepting the argument. We are not at that position where a number of these issues are concerned.

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