Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Is the ostrich the bird that sticks its head in the sand and ignores what is going on around it? What progress has there been with regard to State agencies after four years? It is virtually zero. Is it not the case that ICTU has indicated that if there is no review of decentralisation in the context of the OECD report its unions will not co-operate with the transfer of State agencies? The OECD found that the Government's failure to create any opportunity for mobility between agencies four years into the decentralisation programme is totally undermining it as a tool for delivery of effective public services. What is the Minister's reaction to this? When will the penny drop that the Government must change its attitude and begin to deliver real change for people? If it is to go ahead with decentralisation the programme must be practical and provide improvements unlike the way in which it is administered at present.

Is the Minister not aware, being Dublin-based, just how crazy some of the situations are for his own constituents? Will he answer the wake-up call and allow us to have a sensible debate on this and work out something that is feasible?

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