McCreevy 'disappointed' at decentralisation response

The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy has described the uptake of jobs under the decentralisation programme as "disappointing".

He released details of the Central Applications Facility (CAF) report this afternoon, which shows only 2,200 Dublin-based civil servants have expressed an interest in moving to the new decentralised locations. Another 400 said they would be willing to move to existing provincial locations.

A total of 6,300 volunteers are being sought from the civil service.

Among Stage agency workers, 2,200 of whom are supposed to move outside Dublin, only 330 Dublin-based employees of State agencies have expressed an interest in moving. A further 200 State agency employees working outside Dublin are interested in moving, 170o of them to the new decentralised locations and 30 to a different provincial location.

Mr McCreevy said the early results for the State agencies were disappointing.

"These initial results may have been influenced by a number of factors including the size and nature of the individual organisations and the decision of some trade unions to advise their members in the State agencies not to co-operate with the CAF," he explained. "However, we are still at a very early stage in the process and I hope it will be possible to address the issues raised by the unions in the near future."

Mr McCreevy re-iterated that all decentralisation moves would be entirely voluntary. "I recognise that individuals may be facing difficult choices and have legitimate concerns," he said. I am confident that these can be addressed as we move forward."

He also announced that the headquarters of the new Health Service Executive, with 300 staff,  will be in Naas, Co Kildare, while the new Health Information & Quality Authority, with 50, will be in Cork City. These two organisations are due to be established on a statutory basis by January 1st, 2005.

Another  870 civil servants will be moved to  jobs in Portlaoise (125 Agriculture staff);  Drogheda (225 Social & Family Affairs staff, 90 Local Government Computer Services Board staff and 15 Reach staff); and Kildare Town (380 Revenue staff and 35 Department of Finance (CMOD) staff).