Transfers delayed for three years

THE decentralisation of thousands of public jobs from Dublin to around the country is being postponed until 2011, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan announced.

In his Budget, he said 6,000 jobs had already been moved to 40 locations throughout the State as part of the five-year-old scheme.

But the planned shift of almost 5,000 jobs in other Government departments to the regions will now be shelved for three years, he said.