McCreevy stands firm on delayed decentralisation

IRELAND’S EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy yesterday stood over his decision to announce an ambitious decentralisation programme in his last Budget as Finance Minister two years ago.

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.