Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

The decentralisation programme, announced in December's budget, was tremendously welcome in towns across Ireland. It gave a great morale boost in my home town of Tipperary. I have never seen the people in such good mood as I saw them in the days following the decision. The various local bodies are busy putting together sites which they have been invited to send to the OPW. They are anxious to move ahead as fast as possible. If there was any disappointment in Tipperary, it was that Tipperary town's twin for this purpose, Carrick-on-Suir, was not included. However, there are some unallocated jobs, particularly in the information technology sector, related to that part of the south-east. I press the Minister and the Government to do what they can because Carrick-on-Suir needs decentralisation as badly as Tipperary town.

While many of the towns chosen are contrary to those stated in the Fine Gael amendment, which are hubs or gateways in the national spatial strategy, not all of them are. Some of them are towns which have difficulty attracting replacement industry and which do not want to become dormitory towns. The national spatial strategy does not discuss in detail the subject of decentralisation. I am not sure it even specifically mentions it. Do I understand from the Fine Gael amendment to the motion that any town which is not a hub or gateway should not have been chosen for decentralisation? Was Senator Ulick Burke consulted about it, given the fact that the road haulage section and the National Safety Council is going to Loughrea because that is not a hub or gateway? Is Senator Finucane happy with the Fine Gael amendment, given that 50 Revenue staff are going to Newcastle West which is not a hub or gateway? Is the chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party happy, given that he claimed the credit more or less exclusively for himself for the 200 jobs going to Tipperary? The Fine Gael Party should consider amending its amendment.

This is not only good for the towns chosen, but it is also good for Dublin. Anyone who travels to and from Dublin sees the queues which begin at Kill every morning during rush hour and continue for a couple of hours. It is intolerable. This is about relieving gross pressure on Dublin, which is a major element of the national spatial strategy. Decentralisation is fully in line with the national spatial strategy.

It is also good for public administration and public servants. They must administer the country as a whole, like gardaí. It will not do them any harm to have direct experience of places other than Dublin during their careers as civil servants. Far from being bad for public administration, it will be exceptionally good for it. One has only to consider the French administration system, which is one of the finest in the world. Its staff members are sent off as prefects, and they go to prefectures in different parts of the country. It is thoroughly good for public administration. It may help those who move around and are flexible to qualify for the most senior jobs in due course.

I am disappointed by the Labour Party's attitude to this issue. I listened carefully to the leader of the Labour Party on Sunday, 24 January. He called it a daft idea which would not work. He said it would be immensely expensive and counter-productive in terms of Government effectiveness and it would demoralise civil servants. He also said it would be bad for Government. The Labour Party says it will be the major force driving the next Government.