McCreevy stands firm on delayed decentralisation
His plan to move 10,000 public servants from Dublin by 2007 has become one of the most criticised policies of the Coalition Government and has come under heavy attack from the opposition and from trade unions representing State employees.
Most criticism was directed at the target Mr McCreevy set for the programme. The Government now concedes it will not happen before the end of 2007 and that some of the transfers are unlikely to take place before 2010.
Mr McCreevy, in Dublin to brief on his first year as a commissioner, said there was a lot of wisdom in hindsight about his plans.
“Many of us have had to deal with the growth of Dublin over the past 30 years. Most people agree there should be a policy of decentralisation. Of course, when pressures come on, some people change their view. As far as I can see, the Government are still very committed to it,” he said.
Asked if his target was too optimistic, he said: “If you don’t set yourself a target, then nothing will ever be done. In any bureaucracy, things will be delayed.”
On Budget Day in December 2003, Mr McCreevy said the electorate would punish the Government if decentralisation wasn’t achieved on schedule.
Yesterday he said that it would only be one of many issues the electorate would take account of at the next election.
Mr McCreevy also paid tribute to Charles Haughey yesterday, in much the same way as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern did at the Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis in October.
“Mr Haughey has been credited for getting the public finances correct and making the changes that had to be made in 1987. He did the business. Other aspects of Mr Haughey’s career are open to scrutiny and a lot of controversy (but) people should be fair in recognising what he did for this country,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Dublin yesterday, the European Commission Representation in Ireland launched its end-of-year review.
Accepting that 2005 was not an easy year for Europe, it said the Union had to face terrorism, social uncertainty, natural disasters and challenges of globalisation.
“The prospect of modernisation with a new constitution was stalled, unfortunately, and Europe’s leaders were not yet able to reach agreement on future financing,” read the review.
