Ahern turns tables on decentralisation critic

BERTIE AHERN yesterday turned the tables on one of the most trenchant critics of the Government’s decentralisation programme, Professor Ed Walsh, and also lashed the “gombeen” opposition to the plan.

The impact of the decentralisation programme on the delivery of public services was again questioned by opposition leaders, Enda Kenny of Fine Gael and Pat Rabbitte of Labour.

Defending the relocation of 10,300 civil servants to 53 locations, the Taoiseach said he did not accept that the changes will have any adverse effects on the workings of government departments as it was normal practice in business to use technology to communicate. “We should try not to think in old-fashioned ways that have more to do with gombeen days,” he said.