Taxpayers face €65m bill for decentralisation

TAXPAYERS could be forced to pay out over €65 million each year as a result of the Government’s ill-conceived decentralisation programme, according to one of the country’s leading civil service unions.

IMPACT claims the refusal of a large majority of specialist staff within the civil service to move out of Dublin will cost the Government an additional €65m annually.

The union has estimated this figure could increase still further when the cost of retaining staff in State agencies who are reluctant to move out of the capital is included.

Based on new Department of Finance figures, the union claims just 15% of over 1,000 technical and professional positions in the civil service which are due to be decentralised will be filled by qualified staff.

A survey commissioned by the union states the cost of paying salaries and renting office space for 876 expert civil servants who do not wish to leave Dublin could be as high as €65.6m each year.

Last night, the union’s national secretary Louise O’Donnell called for an independent investigation.

Ms O’Donnell said such specialist staff, like engineers, architects, probation officers and legal experts, could not easily be replaced or reassigned.

For example, just 37 Dublin-based staff at the Office of Public Works wish to take up the 148 positions available at its planned new premises in Trim, Co Meath. No applications to relocate have been received from 78 probation officers whose offices are due to move to Navan, Co Meath.

Ms O’Donnell warned implementation of the current decentralisation programme by the Government would also have an adverse effect on services to the public.

IMPACT has expressed concern that the Government will also face difficulty in recruiting so many specialists in the current labour market conditions.

Ms O’Donnell said there had been no real progress in talks with junior Finance Minister Tom Parlon who has responsibility for overseeing the decentralisation programme.

“The next Government waste scandal is unfolding before our eyes, but it’s not too late to call a halt,” said Ms O’Donnell who insisted her union was not opposed to the principle of decentralisation.

Last night, Mr Parlon said: “I am confident that the well tried and trusted industrial relations mechanism that has been used successfully in the past can be used again to resolve all these issues.”

He stressed that decentralisation remained a voluntary scheme and acknowledged that there were some members of IMPACT who wished to remain in Dublin.