Remove state sector from plan, say unions

STATE sector unions last night demanded the Government remove the entire sector from its controversial decentralisation plan after just 7% of workers applied to decentralise.

Although the latest figures from the Government’s Central Applications Facility (CAF) show a surge in interest for decentralised jobs, those who want to move are concentrated in the civil service working in Government departments.

In that sector, over 7,000 workers - just short of the required 7,212 - have applied to move.

However, more than 5,000 of those have not applied to move with their jobs and have instead opted to transfer to another department.

But most state sector workers - employed in statutory bodies such as Enterprise Ireland and Sustainable Energy Ireland - remain opposed to moving.

According to the CAF figures, just 732 of the required 2,345 state sector employees are willing to move.

In many agencies, such as Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Bus Éireann, not one employee has opted to follow their job.

In larger agencies such as FÁS - which has nearly 400 people designated to go to Birr - as few as six people have expressed an interest in following their post.

Overall a mere 7% of State agency employees have expressed an interest in decentralising and only around 10% have expressed an interest in transferring to the civil service.

SIPTU’s state and related agencies branch secretary, Owen Reidy, called on the Government to scrap the decentralisation of the state sector.

“Having looked at the numbers, it is imperative that the Government acknowledges the distinct difference between the civil service and the State agencies in relation to decentralisation and comes to the only logically sound conclusion, which is to remove the agencies from the plan immediately,” he said.

IMPACT, which represents 1,600 specialist and technical state agency staff, echoed SIPTU’s call.

Assistant secretary Tom Hoare said: “We need to get on with seeing how we deal with staff left behind in Dublin. Decentralisation of the sector is clearly not possible. It should be taken off their list.”

Junior minister Tom Parlon conceded that the implementation of decentralisation would have to be staggered to cope with slow uptake in the state sector.

However, he ruled out the possibility of any rethink. “We’re very well placed to deliver the plan,” he said.