Labour claims decentralisation plan is in chaos

Labour Party TD Eamonn Gilmore has claimed that the Government’s decentralisation plan is in chaos.

Mr Gilmore was speaking following a survey that found an overwhelming majority of staff in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment did not want to move to Carlow.

Tánaiste Mary Harney, the minister in charge of the department, said this morning that the opposition to decentralisation would not change the Government’s plan.

Mr Gilmore said this suggested that the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition was planning to pressure civil servants into supporting the move.

“The voluntary aspect of decentralisation appears to have gone out the window,” he said.

“The Government [is] now talking about people having great career opportunities if they move and, of course, the other side of that is, if they don’t move, they won’t have the great career opportunities.”