Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

What would an alternative Government do about decentralisation? Would it be committed to seeing the plans carried through? Would it call the whole thing to a halt? Such a scenario happened twice before. In 1981, a decentralisation programme was announced, but it was cancelled by the former Minister, Mr. John Bruton, whose brother is the finance spokesperson of Fine Gael. In 1982, decentralisation was again raised, but was again cancelled by the incoming Fine Gael and Labour Party coalition.