Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Taoiseach. Given the deterioration in the public finances — as the Taoiseach said at the weekend, we do not have a thriving economy just now — the situation is such that we should be up-front about this. In cases where numbers, grades and categories stack up, this process should have been completed long ago. However, in the case of some semi-State agencies, it will never happen and putting it off into a sort of limbo for review in 2011 is not facing reality or being truthful with those communities and people throughout the country.

I support decentralisation. A well planned, properly managed decentralisation programme has always been of enormous benefit throughout the country, no more so than in the Taoiseach's constituency. Is it the case that the 2011 review is only a political smokescreen which suggests that in reality this will never happen in the way it was envisaged for the 53 locations when it was announced originally by the former Minister, Mr. McCreevy?

Are we holding out false hopes for people, including some of the 28 staff from the Taoiseach's Department, that at some future time a decentralisation programme might be put in place when the Taoiseach knows that a review in 2011 means another five or 10 years beyond that before anything is to happen? Would it not be better to be up-front with these people? The transfers that are under way should be finished by now. However, with regard to those situations where there are clearly difficulties or where the numbers, grades and categories do not stack up, perhaps the Taoiseach should tell those communities it will not happen in the way that was envisaged and that we will try to do something else for them in the context of the national development plan.

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