Seanad debates
Thursday, 30 June 2005
Decentralisation Programme.
5:00 pm
Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the House for agreeing to debate this issue and the Cathaoirleach for choosing it. This matter was tabled, and I checked the Seanad record where it is noted at 13.20 on Tuesday. I said that I would be in Belfast yesterday and that I would not be here to take it last night but that I would be here today, Thursday. It was submitted and is stamped as having been received in the Department of Finance at 1.25 p.m. I met the Minister of State at almost 7 p.m. that evening. I am therefore quite alarmed at the remarks that he flung at me outside in the anteroom.
Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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They were in jest.
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry, but any remarks made outside cannot be raised in this House.
Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)
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I will address my remarks through the Acting Chairman.
Thankfully, staff in the Seanad office take very careful record of when they receive an Adjournment issue, when it is stamped and comes back from the Department. That record exists.
Second, the idea that I should seek to upstage the Minister of State shows that he has some opinion of himself. I have every intention of saying that in other fora. He has some opinion of himself to suggest that because he was to visit Athlone I should run to put down an Adjournment matter. Now I have heard it all.
I have asked questions about Athlone, Longford and Mullingar simply because what I would call scare stories are proliferating about whether jobs are coming so that no one is clear who is coming, when, or what it is all about. While there are big signs advertising decentralisation, we lack all sense of direction on the matter.
I wish it to be recorded that we in Athlone secured Athlone as the first town in the country to get decentralisation, in 1977 from the Department of Education. My own brother — God rest him — had initiated it when he was Minister. It did not come through until 1977, in the shape of the examinations branch in Athlone. The idea that we will be overwhelmed by someone running around putting up posters is laughable. We then secured special educational needs when I was Minister for Education in 1991. Currently 330 employees of the Department of Education and Science are working — I hope, happily, but at any rate fruitfully — in decentralised offices in Athlone.
I am very keen to know when the numbers outlined in the Budget Statement will come through. I hope that the matter is entirely voluntary. I expect it to be the case, since the Minister has stressed that throughout. That goes for Longford and Mullingar also. I want to know the status of the proposals, how many jobs will go to each town, the properties to which they are going, the locus of each decentralisation project, and how far advanced are the plans. Each town is very keen to know the proposals, and scare stories have been proliferating that it is not going to happen. I am sure that is not true.
Let me repeat that on Tuesday at 1 p.m. I submitted this matter for the Adjournment. I said that I would not be able to attend on Wednesday but that I could attend on Thursday. It was stamped as having been received in the relevant Department about 20 minutes later. Some six hours later I met the Minister of State in the corridor. Let me say again that the idea that I should exert myself in trying to upstage him is something else.
Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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I am sure that it was totally coincidental that I had planned——
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State without interruption.
Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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I reiterate that I am sure that it was totally coincidental that I had announced that I would unveil several sites next week and accidentally met the Senator on the corridor.
Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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My comments outside were entirely in jest, and I am surprised that she is getting so——
Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)
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I know the Minister of State, and he does not speak in jest too often.
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State without interruption.
Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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I am surprised that the Senator is getting so uppity about it. It was entirely in jest.
Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State did not look like that was the case. Anyway, we can take it further. I have already made the arrangements.
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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Senator O'Rourke, please allow the Minister of State to continue without interruption.
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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I have asked three or four times. I ask the Senator to respect the ruling.
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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No, the Minister of State is speaking. He is quite entitled, so please give him the opportunity to do so.
Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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As I said, it was purely coincidental.
Paddy BurkeTom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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As soon as the House rises and we have time to get around the country to unveil the sites, we will do so. I wish to make it very clear that the scare stories do not exist in the way that the Senator said and that we have bought sites. Next week we intend to unveil signs in Newcastle West, Killarney, Clonakilty, Athlone, Longford, Knock, Tullamore and Portlaoise, with further sites following immediately thereafter. That will give rise to public confidence that decentralisation is progressing and going ahead.
I am delighted to attend this evening to address Senators once again on the Government's decentralisation programme. I reiterate that the Government is firmly committed to the full implementation of the decentralisation programme and is very pleased with the progress which has been achieved over the past 18 months. The headquarters of the Department of Education and Science is decentralising to Mullingar, with a total of 298 posts. During the priority period for applications up to 7 September 2004, 247 applications were received for Mullingar through the central applications facility, which is now widely known as the CAF. Some 68 of those applications are from existing staff of the Department. In addition, 11 new entrants have accepted formal offers to transfer to Mullingar.
In addition to the transfer of its headquarters to Mullingar, 103 posts in the Department of Education and Science will transfer to Athlone, where there is already a large section of the Department, as the Senator stated. A total of 87 people applied through the CAF during the priority period for applications. Of those, 22 are already employed by the Department of Education. In addition, 12 new entrants have accepted formal offers to transfer to Athlone.
The Department of Education and Science has completed a second and deeper iteration of its implementation plan, which has been submitted to the decentralisation implementation group. The Higher Education Authority will also decentralise to Athlone, with 54 posts. There were 23 applications for posts in the decentralised organisation during the priority period for applications. I understand that no formal offers have yet been made to staff.
As the Senators know, responsibility for the decentralisation of the Department of Education and Science to both Mullingar and Athlone, and of the Higher Education Authority to Athlone, lies with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. The Irish Prison Service will decentralise to Longford, with 160 staff. A total of 150 people applied through the CAF for Longford during the priority period for applications. Formal offers have been made and accepted by 26 staff who have undertaken to transfer to Longford. In addition, one new entrant accepted a formal offer to transfer to Longford. The Irish Prison Service has prepared an updated implementation plan, which has been received by the decentralisation implementation group. I reiterate that the implementation of the decentralisation programme where the Irish Prison Service is concerned lies with the relevant Minister, who in this case is the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell.
When the last report of the decentralisation implementation group was published in November 2004, indicative dates were provided in respect of each location. I understand that a further progress report will be presented to the Minister for Finance shortly which will provide an update on all the property, people and business issues. Decentralisation and the movement of State employment from Dublin will help provide for the economic and social development of the midland region, which has not benefited as much as Dublin from the recent economic success. The Government's hope is that the decentralisation programme will serve as a catalyst for further economic benefit in provincial Ireland. The public servants who opt for decentralisation will also experience quality-of-life gains as they return to family and friends, and lower commuting times between home and work.
Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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The reply to Senator Quinn's Adjournment matter has not yet arrived. Perhaps he would allow me to call Senator Paddy Burke first.
Feargal Quinn