The Government is to consider a proposal to abandon its plan to transfer 10,000 civil servants out of Dublin in one major decentralisation programme in favour of moving smaller numbers on a piecemeal basis, The Irish Times has learned.
The change of strategy is being urged on Ministers to avoid political damage from what could become a major election issue in key constituencies. A Cabinet sub-committee is to meet shortly to consider the new approach.
The Minister for Finance Mr McCreevy announced there would be such a major programme over a year ago. However, intensive lobbying on behalf of some 120 locations around the State has made decision-making politically difficult.
Key advisers have urged that a number of individual decisions would be announced early, with more promised for later. This would avoid the Government having to turn down dozens of towns in what may be the lead-in to an election. It would mean a much smaller number of Civil Service jobs would be transferred in the short-term, but with a prospect of future movements over time.
The emergence of the idea follows unprecedented lobbying from Ministers, public representatives and local interests from all constituencies outside Dublin, and even some within the capital. Decisions have been postponed twice so far as Ministers became concerned that announcing one comprehensive blueprint would disappoint more towns than it would please, and cause electoral damage to Government parties. In the past two months the Government has also been involved in talks with public service unions who are anxious to ensure decisions to move large numbers of civil servants are in line with their members' wishes.
The lobbying has been relentless, as an influx of Civil Service jobs is seen as providing a significant economic boost to towns outside Dublin. While more than 100 locations have been suggested as suitable, it is expected fewer than 30 may be selected.
The piecemeal approach would allow the Government parties take the political credit from the towns receiving an influx of Civil Service jobs, while avoiding political flak from those turned down. Indeed under this proposal, no town would be "turned down" as such, but would merely have its case postponed.
The sub-committee - comprising the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Minister for Finance and Minister for the Environment - is already more than six months behind schedule in making decisions. Mr McCreevy announced his intention to devise the largest decentralisation programme in the history of the State on the day of the December 1999 budget.
He has now told Ministers to bring proposals to him within weeks stating what specific departments or offices should be moved, and to what specific locations. However, as the avalanche of representations came in, the deadline was set for last July, and then for the end of 2000.
That second deadline is now to be passed with the Cabinet sub-committee not having met for more than a month. There are currently 14,000 civil servants based outside Dublin with 15,500 in the city. The programme was, for the first time, to include non-commercial State-sponsored bodies.
Eight members of the Cabinet are among the 80 Oireachtas members who have made representations on behalf of their areas. These are Ms Sile de Valera, Mr John O'Donoghue, Mr Jim McDaid, Mr Dermot Ahern, Mr Joe Walsh, Mr Michael Smith, Ms Mary O'Rourke and Mr Brian Cowen.
Three of the four Independents upon whose support the Government relies in the Dail - Ms Mildred Fox, Mr Tom Gildea and Mr Jackie Healy-Rae - have also made representations seeking transfer of civil servants to their constituencies.