Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader organise a debate as soon as possible to discuss the shambles that is now decentralisation? One of the worst abuses of power that has ever occurred in the country was the Budget Statement read by the previous Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, in respect of this issue. This was stroke politics at its best. People were led up the garden path, particularly Senator Leyden, whose Roscommon constituency now gets no jobs as a result of the announcement made yesterday.

This issue is about people's lives. We were told 10,000 people would be moved, but now it is down to 3,500. We were told that 53 towns were included in the first phase but that number is now down to 29 and there is no genuine time estimate as to when decentralisation will occur. We need immediate answers from the Government on the issue. This House had a good debate on the issue last year. We smelled a rat then and see it now. The matter has been a shambles from start to finish. The Government needs to go back to the drawing board and work out something that is sensible, strategic and in the long-term interest of the public service. Will the Leader organise a debate on the issue at the earliest possible time?