Decentralisation plan - Government needs to think again

is good for you - provided the Coalition get it right. But if they get it wrong, which seems likely, the outcome will be disastrous for the country.

If he gets his way, Junior Minister Tom Parlon will scatter vital pieces of the administrative and decision-making jigsaw up and down the country without rhyme or reason in an approach which, according to seasoned observers, could paralyse the administration in times of national emergency.

For years, this newspaper has championed decentralisation. Time and again we stressed the urgency of stemming the haemorrhage of people from the heart of Ireland to the gaping maw of Dublin’s sprawl where traffic chaos, spiralling house prices and long-distance commuting are now endemic.