Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I have not yet heard Fine Gael or Labour state one town or county that should not be included.

The scheme is voluntary and there are industrial relations procedures in this country. The implementation group makes it quite clear that a breakthrough will be required regarding the State agencies to try to get the programme up and running to match the headway made in respect of the Civil Service. In this regard, there is already a culture of staff crossing from Department to Department. They are retrained when they cross over and are very anxious to move to the various locations.

We are aware that some parts of the programme are moving ahead more speedily than others. I agree that one of the roles of Ministers in their line Departments is to continue to push for the implementation of the programme subject to respecting its voluntary nature and working with the unions concerned. The industrial relations machinery of the State should be used as creatively and constructively as possible to bring about solutions to problems regarding which there has not been progress. This has been acknowledged by me for some time but that is not to say the decentralisation programme should not go ahead as quickly as possible in all areas with a view to dealing with the more intractable problems that resulted in a major delay in progress, particularly in some State agencies, on the basis of industrial relations procedures. Such procedures are the best means of dealing with the problems.

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