Seanad debates

Wednesday, 2 June 2004

Decentralisation Programme: Motion.

 

6:00 am

Photo of Brendan KenneallyBrendan Kenneally (Fianna Fail)

However, we are determined to proceed.

A great deal of misinformation has been put about. A Department carried out a trawl of its employees and inquired as to how many people wanted to decentralise to the location to which it proposes to move. It was stated that decentralisation would not work because so few people wanted to move to that location. However, when the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources posed the question, the answer was completely different. There are enough people and they are anxious to move. I accept that in many cases this will entail moving to different Departments. What of it? This is happening in any event. People are constantly moving from one Department to another, whether it be in terms of gaining promotion, transferring or whatever. Moving Departments will not create any difficulty.

I heard a debate on radio this morning about local authorities and their powers. Reference was made to the decision-making process and the fact that many of their powers have been taken away and centralised back to Dublin. I do not want to discuss the rights and wrongs of what has happened to elected councils. However, I am of the view that elected representatives in local authorities should have more power. As regards the decision-making process, decentralisation of eight Departments will move this process out of Dublin to other locations. Those on radio this morning were decrying the fact that the decision-making process is being removed from rural areas. Now, however, it is being returned to various rural areas. I cannot understand why people oppose that.

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