James Bannon (Fine Gael)

The Government has not delivered on decentralisation. Last week we heard that the plan to move 10,300 Dublin-based civil and public servants to 53 new locations by 2007 has been dropped, even though the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, placed leaflets in every post office in Laoighis-Offaly on the eve of budget day last year announcing decentralisation to those locations.

Unfortunately for the Government, there will be a general election before its policy can be implemented in full. The Government lied to the people and it will get a message from them. With the results of the local elections still fresh in its mind, this must be a daunting prospect — having run almost 20 candidates in Laoighis-Offaly, very few were elected to the local authority.