Decentralisation - Siptu action could derail troubled plan

THE overwhelming size of yesterday’s vote in favour of industrial action at FÁS, the State-run training agency, represents the most serious threat to date for the Government’s endangered plan to decentralise the civil service.

Since the policy was floated, little progress has been made towards the much-vaunted transfer of 10,000 civil and public servants from 60 departments and State agencies to new offices around the country.

If other civil servants follow the line taken by Siptu at FÁS, opposition to this politically-motivated initiative will snowball, with embarrassing repercussions for the Coalition in the next general election.