Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The programme was the most ambitious ever devised in the State. It aimed to include not only those Departments which had a tradition of decentralisation and interoperability but also the wider public service and agencies in which these traditions did not exist.

While industrial relations issues have arisen in some agencies, up to 525 people from the agencies in question have relocated. The programme has to respect industrial relations processes and be achieved in a planned and proper way, which is the case. By the end of 2010, up to 6,000 public and civil servants will have relocated. Some 8,000 civil and public servants are retraining for working in the Departments to which they intend to relocate.

It is working its way through, more slowly than was originally targeted, which was very ambitious. It was always a voluntary scheme. It must abide by and respect industrial relations processes. Citing some extreme anecdote or suggesting there is a problem in one case on one particular day is not a fair characterisation of the fact that the decentralisation schemes in general — this one and previous ones that were less ambitious — have worked and are working. Of course, it is down to the quality of management and leadership in these locations to ensure the overall work and focus of the Department are maintained and that the output and professionalism required are provided.

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