National Spatial Strategy under fire

CABINET ministers’ home bases had more influence on the selection of decentralisation locations than the National Spatial Strategy, Tom Parlon appears to believe.

Only 22% of the 10,500 relocation jobs are going to towns listed as hubs and gateways in the NSS, but 55% of the posts are going to Cabinet ministers’ counties, Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton said yesterday.

Minister Parlon said the NSS was a factor in the selection of locations, but it wasn’t the be all and end all.

As to whether the NSS or the Cabinet minister had a greater influence, he said: “I would put my money on a Cabinet minister anytime.”

Yet he argued that the plan was well thought out, adding that there were 55 locations and only 15 Cabinet ministers, four of whom were from Dublin.

“The only objections were from towns not included,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Government is planning to spend more than €900 million on implementing decentralisation, but officials still insist the programme will be self-financing.

Building and fitting out of offices for 10,500 public servants will cost an estimated €815m, while up to €100m will be spent on acquiring sites in 56 locations

OPW Minister Tom Parlon said yesterday that he expected €400m to be raised by selling off property no longer used in Dublin. Already €85m has been raised from property sales, meaning €485m will come from property disposals alone, while €20m was allocated in Budget 2004 to get the programme started.

On top of this, €100m a year is being spent on renting office space in Dublin, and substantial savings are anticipated on some of these leases through decentralisation. OPW officials insist the entire programme will be self-financing over time.

Up to 210,000 square metres of office space will be needed in the decentralisation locations and the move will free up over 200,000 square metres of office space in Dublin, Mr Parlon said at the Oireachtas finance committee.

Although Mr Parlon said the entire programme was proceeding as planned, he conceded that “issues” and “difficulties” in relation to some organisations would have to be dealt with.

Fianna Fáil TD Ned O’Keeffe was less optimistic about the state agency prospects, particularly the case of Bus Éireann’s mooted move to Mitchelstown, where only a handful of staff want to transfer.

“There isn’t a pup’s chance of Bus Éireann going to be decentralised,” he said.

Minister Parlon came under sustained fire from opposition parties with Green Party finance spokesman Dan Boyle pointing out that there were no costings on logistics and other added costs.

Labour finance spokesperson Joan Burton queried if the cost of créches would be covered from a central childcare fund for disadvantaged areas.