Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

The words of Senator O'Toole, as the former president of ICTU, will carry some weight. The question of implementation is something to which we will have to return.

When this year's budget was introduced, the one issue that captured people's imagination was decentralisation. This must be admitted by people all over the political spectrum. The very criticism that has been continuously levelled at this Government, particularly our leader — that of indecisiveness — has been turned on its head. The Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, stated that more than 130 submissions had been received. It must have been an extremely difficult job, if not impossible, for any Minister for Finance or member of the Government to decide where the various Departments would go. It would also have proven a challenge for those on the other side of the House if they had been in Government. I do not like to sound as though I am repeating everything Senator O'Toole said, but whatever the criticisms that may be levelled about implementation or the electoral advantages that may accrue from this, it is churlish to suggest that the decisions taken about where the Departments should go were questionable. That is a contemptible position to take and it shows a certain amount of typical Irish begrudgery and envy — that idea that one town has something while another does not.

I welcome the developments. A total of 275 jobs are coming to Carrick-on-Shannon. Jobs are also coming to Sligo, Roscommon and Cavan, all of which are within 30 miles of where I live. The economic and social impact of those jobs on my town of Drumshanbo in County Leitrim will be immense. That is the matter about which I am concerned in the implementation process. I like where I live because of where it is. I do not wish to live in Dublin, Cork, Galway or any of the burgeoning cities around the country. I do not have anything against these cities — I love visiting them. Like most Senators, I spend half my working week in Dublin. I enjoy Dublin — I like its cultural life and its buzz. However, I like where I am living because it has certain unique qualities. I hope that uniqueness will not be lost because of decentralisation and that the Government will take account of the social and economic impact of transferring significant numbers of people out of their natural environment, in most cases, to these towns and cities. The infrastructure of these places should be supportive so that the transfer of people will not destroy the quality of life we have all enjoyed and continue to enjoy.

I wanted to make that point because I know that people will welcome and embrace the concept of decentralisation, especially in a county such as my own which has suffered from the ravages of emigration, as has most of the west and the midlands. They will welcome the injection of jobs and cultural diversity. We will embrace the people who are coming to live among us. The Government has a responsibility to ensure this is a smooth transition that will not seriously disrupt the social fabric of the Ireland I know and love.