John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

Some 46 of the 445 people who work in the Department of Education and Science, or approximately 10% of them, have applied to decentralise. The Minister of State has said that 10,600 people have applied to participate in the decentralisation programme, but it is quite clear that many of them are already working in regional towns outside Dublin. Many of them have never worked in Dublin. When I spoke with Senator Mansergh earlier, he correctly referred to the relocation of an office of Teagasc at Oak Park in Carlow as a fantastic example of decentralisation. Officials in other sections of Departments and Government agencies which have been decentralised over the years are already working outside Dublin. The Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, has shown his brass neck by telling the House that 10,600 people want to decentralise, given that most of them are not working in Dublin at present.