Decentralisation will benefit public servants - and none of them will have a case for constructive dismissal, writes Tom Parlon
In a recent Irishman's Diary, Joe Humphreys strongly attacked the Government's policy of decentralisation and asked a number of questions regarding its implementation.
I would like to answer the questions he raised and also to point out some of the many positive aspects of decentralisation.
Mr Humphreys, like many of his fellow commentators in the media, continues to cite negatives while completely ignoring the positive aspects of decentralisation.
This current programme was first mooted as far back as 1999 and has its origins in the very positive experience that Government, staff and customers of the public service had of previous decentralisations. Had Mr Humphreys carried out a little research he may well have been able to answer the questions that he himself has raised.
I will endeavour, yet again, to answer those questions and perhaps put paid to those doubting that this Government decision will be implemented.
(a) How much will decentralisation cost? The Decentralisation Implementation Group's second report in November 2004 outlined the costs associated with the programme. The main costs will arise in the area of providing suitable "property solutions".
A capital envelope of €900 million has been provided for the Office of Public Works, over the next number of years, as the gross cost of relocating all of the 10,300 staff. This figure does not take into account the sums that will accrue from the sale of buildings in Dublin or savings on rent currently being paid on other leased buildings; for example, €100 million was realised last year with a similar amount expected this year.
In addition, at the end of the process the State will own the buildings at the provincial locations. The true net cost will only emerge over a period of time.
(b) How will it be implemented without creating inefficiencies and undermining the work of relocating State agencies and departments?
We already know that decentralisation has worked very successfully in the past. Both the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners have made it clear that they suffered no loss of efficiency in their service to their customers as a result of previous decentralisations. Indeed, in Revenue's case, it claims that the very fact that the organisation had embarked on a relocation programme provided an opportunity for re-engineering their operations, leading to a value-added outcome.
While the current programme is on a bigger scale, decentralisation undoubtedly provides an opportunity to take another look at how things are done in the public service and to make changes, which both facilitate decentralisation and modernise the way services are provided to customers.
In addition the advent of broadband, the internet and e-mail, instant messaging and other advanced communication technologies now means that for many business functions location is irrelevant.
I firmly believe that decentralisation will be a catalyst for positive change and enhanced performance within the service.
(c) What will happen to employees who opt to stay in Dublin?
This is a voluntary programme. It is also recognised that some staff, for personal reasons, will opt to remain in Dublin. It has been explained that in such cases staff will be offered an alternative public service post in Dublin.
Sensationalist comments such "voluntary severance package" and "public servants may have a case for constructive dismissal" serves only to create uncertainty and hinders the ongoing negotiations between the Department of Finance and the various representative bodies.
Everybody knows that in the discussions with unions and in a number of public statements, it has been made clear that a voluntary severance package does not form part of the Government's implementation strategy. Similarly, the Government is satisfied that in the context of a voluntary relocation programme the issue of constructive dismissal does not arise.
No one argues with the fact that this ambitious decentralisation programme is by far the largest and most wide-ranging in the history of the State. It involves the relocation of more than 10,000 civil and public service jobs to some 53 locations in 25 counties. Rather than highlight the negatives and challenges ahead, perhaps Mr Humphreys could have stated some of the potential benefits of decentralisation, which are immense.
Civil servants seeking to leave Dublin - for example, to return to family and friends back home or to acquire an affordable and comfortable family home within easy reach of their workplace - will have a broad range of options. There will also be a wider range of work and career opportunities for civil servants already working outside Dublin.
Present and future civil servants who aspire to senior management positions will no longer have necessarily to migrate to the capital, although many will continue to do so. The programme will help to ease traffic congestion and housing inflation in Dublin will be lessened.
In addition, the economic impact of in excess of 10,000 well-paid jobs will be significant and positive for many communities throughout the country.
Mary Harney as minister of enterprise, trade and employment directed the IDA to urge multinationals to increase foreign direct investment in the regions, and I am glad to say that in 2004 half of all foreign direct investment in the State went outside Dublin. Now the Government is doing more than urging the private sector to invest in the regions, we are leading by example and locating many of our departments and agencies in the regions.
It is well recognised that the concentration of economic activity in a major city is often key to promoting economic growth. However, at a certain stage the negative impact of economic concentration begins to outweigh the positives, as commuting, congestion and living costs escalate, raising production costs, destroying competitiveness and lowering people's quality of life.
One does not have to be an economist to see that is precisely what is happening to our capital city. Decentralisation is not just a positive for the regions, it is a positive response to the challenges facing the city of Dublin.
There is life outside the Pale and governing this country does not have to be carried out from the Dublin 2 area. I look forward to seeing this programme completed and would ask Joe Humphreys (who said he wished bookmakers took bets on political disasters) to find other safe bets for when he visits his local bookmaker.
Tom Parlon is Minister of State for Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works