Decentralisation plan - Expression of interest is merely that

As a measure of the success of a blatantly political - and expensive - ploy, the numbers game announced yesterday in relation to decentralisation must have been the cause of quiet satisfaction for our Brussels-bound Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy.

He allocated €20 million for the plan, which has been subsequently topped up by another €90 million by Junior Minister Tom Parlon, through the disposal of State properties, as he disclosed yesterday.

When he produced it is as part of his Budget last year, Mr McCreevy’s stated target was 10,300 public servants to remove themselves out of Dublin to 52 areas throughout the country.