Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I said it was botched. A well-planned decentralisation programme has always worked well, but this one was not well-planned. In fairness to the man beside the Taoiseach and without being parochial about it, he wanted to send his Department closer to Knock Airport. That was objected to and turned down by An Bord Pleanála. The Minister then sent those staff to Tubbercurry with the intention of moving them to Charlestown. A site was acquired, but the process is now stalled.

Some 35 reviews are pending for next year, many of which are in locations where land was bought for sites for decentralised offices, but nothing has happened or is happening. Arising from the reviews, will decentralisation go ahead as originally intended?

The Taoiseach mentioned the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. His September report was scathing of the lack of parliamentary scrutiny of how things were done and of the facts that FÁS paid more than double the original estimate for its headquarters' site in Birr, that 12 buildings there were lying entirely empty and that, in seven other locations, 40% of the available space is not being used. This is an indication of a type of scheme that traditionally has been successful when well planned. Due to the secrecy desired by the then Minister for Finance in this case, however, the programme has fallen asunder.

The Comptroller and Auditor General's report also stated that 12 sites costing €43.8 million were bought in locations where decentralisation is not proceeding and that five office blocks leased for €800,000 annually have been left under-occupied. If ever anything smacked of indecisiveness and a lack of confidence, this is one scheme that has those in spades.

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