Government denies U-turn on decentralisation
The Office of Public Works (OPW), which is in charge of implementing the Government’s decentralisation plan, confirmed for the first time yesterday that each minister could replace agencies earmarked for decentralisation with different agencies or departmental sections. The move is a complete departure from the Government’s own decentralisation plan which specified exactly which agencies and sections were to be decentralised.
Unions claimed it was exactly the opposite of what secretary generals had been telling them for years.
Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) general secretary Sean O’Riordan said: “We are told continuously by heads of department that they can’t stray a dot. It is a Government decision and they can’t change it.
“It would be extraordinary if officials were allowed change Government policy like that,” he said.
However, junior minister Tom Parlon, responsible for implementing the controversial decentralisation plan, yesterday indicated that once the correct numbers of jobs were moved, secretary generals could choose which jobs to move.
The surprise development came after details of the first such switch emerged only yesterday. Instead of sending 100 probation officers from Dublin to Navan, the Department of Justice has decided to send just 20.
However, the shortfall in relocated jobs will be made up by staff from the Garda human resources division, the Coroners Agency and the new auctioneers’ regulatory body — none of which were originally scheduled to move.
The changed plan effectively allows the number of decentralised jobs promised to Navan to be maintained, while circumventing difficulties with probation officers who were opposed to moving. But a spokesman for Mr Parlon denied there had been any climb down or U-turn. He said decentralisation was a changing and dynamic process that was never cast in stone.
“Departments have to move people around to satisfy the Government decision. It’s up to each minister and secretary general which agencies can move from an operational point of view,” he said. “It’s each department adhering to the Government’s decision. There is no U-turn and no climb down. A pragmatic solution was identified by the Department of Justice.”
IMPACT decentralisation specialist Louise O’Donnell said she hoped the Government would now respond to union pleas to leave specialist staff in Dublin.
“We are hoping that this will now set the trend and that every department will now look at their own areas and that a similar solution can be found,” she said.
