Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

Decentralisation could have been a force for change. Following the message from last week's report on the issue, decentralisation is an utter shambles. It is all confusion and a clear deception. That fact cannot be escaped. The Minister of State announced that 10,000 people would decentralise within three years. The figures will not even come close to that. There are firm commitments from 2,000 civil servants despite the promise. I welcome the 2,000, but in politics we have a moral duty to tell the people the truth. Last December the people were hoodwinked. The only difference between this Government and that great highwayman Dick Turpin is that the latter wore a mask. The Government has deceived the people.