Deputies may come unstuck in jobs spin

Plans for decentralisation may backfire writes Political Reporter Michael O’Farrell.

IMMEDIATELY after the surprise announcement of decentralisation in Charlie McCreevy’s Budget speech, the Opposition smelled blood.

The Government was accused of using decentralisation as a Trojan horse to mask a tight Budget which had brought another 60,000 people into the top tax rate. But the actions of many Government deputies - who sprang from their Oireachtas seats with a sense of urgency rarely seen - told another story.