Parlon ‘had no role in decentralising jobs’

TOM PARLON had no hand, act or part in the decision to decentralise almost 1,000 jobs to his Laois-Offaly constituency, Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy said yesterday.

Completely discrediting the Progressive Democrats TD’s claim that he was personally responsible for delivering the 965 jobs to five towns in the two counties, Mr McCreevy said that as a junior minister, Mr Parlon would not even have been aware of the decision.

To the delight of opposition parties, Mr McCreevy claimed Mr Parlon may have heard about the decentralisation plans, involving 10,300 public service workers, in a pub the night before Budget 2004.