Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

Three years from December 2002 is December 2005. I am sorry. His statement preceded that. This is 4 December 2002. It must be a mistake. Even maintaining that it is 10,500 jobs in 2007, we all know it is not going to happen.

I am glad a sense of realism is creeping into the debate. It was announced there would be 2,000 jobs in the first phase, 1,320 of which would go to the commuter belt of Dublin. I stayed in Naas one night last week. Having left Naas at 7.30 a.m. it took two hours to get to Leinster House. It was significant that there was a logjam all the way from Naas along the dual carriageway to Dublin and that the traffic flowed freely in the opposite direction. Therefore, I could understand a person from Naas, Newbridge, Portlaoise or Portarlington saying he or she would be far better off to remain in Dublin and commute downwards with the flow of traffic. It is extra chaotic at present owing to the bridge mishap but that will probably be sorted out by the end of December.

I listened to Senator Mansergh earlier. All I can say is that in his press release, the Minister announced it was the first carriage. As far as his community and Tipperary town are concerned it appears to have got derailed at Limerick Junction. It is regrettable that the concept of decentralisation works only if there is the cluster model. The reason it has been successful in Ennis, Kilrush and Newcastle West is that there are 800 jobs in Limerick city, Ennis and Nenagh, within the Revenue cluster, and that there is a certain tier of promotion within the system and an opportunity for advancement. That is the reason is works further away. Within those tiers of the Civil Service there would be movement, say, from the Department of Agriculture and Food in Limerick to Revenue in Newcastle West and so on.

It is significant that the timeframe for semi-State organisations has been pushed out further and to areas such as Birr. I worked in FÁS head office where it is proposed to decentralise 390 jobs. I ask the Minister of State to be real in regard to that proposal as it will not happen. That office has already said that six or seven people have applied. I do not know how 390 jobs can be focused down there. At some stage we must accept that decentralisation is not achievable in a particular area but may be achievable elsewhere and, where it is achievable, the Minister of State should proceed with it. We all wish it well because it is good for the whole country.

What the former Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, tried to do was over-ambitious. Given that the local elections were taking place in June he considered it would be helpful if he gave enough smarties throughout the country to 53 locations. Senator Leyden said that in Roscommon it was a great political idea and that he would benefit in the local election. In that way he was attributing a political dimension to the process. Politics was involved and the local election was a significant feature in the decisions made.

If civil servants are being decentralised down the country I suggest the cluster model be used as this would allow for promotional opportunities and there will be some degree of success. Our area is a classic example where all three locations have been selected in the first tier. We look forward to that happening.