No forced move for civil servants, says Ahern
Civil servants who want to stay in Dublin will not have to move under the Government’s decentralisation programme, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.
Mr Ahern said workers who did not want to leave the capital would have control over their futures and be able to apply to stay in Dublin.
He said: “The future of those who choose to stay in Dublin is also being secured.
“I appreciate that there is a great deal of uncertainty among the many thousands of public servants who, though they wish to stay in Dublin, their jobs are being decentralised.
“I understand the concern of these people but I want to reassure them that they will have control over their futures,” he added at a reception at a football club in Dublin’s Cabra.
The Green party yesterday accused the Government did not use the decentralisation programme to win votes in the forthcoming elections.
Environment Minister Martin Cullen today said all the opposition parties have changed their positions over the planned movement of thousands of civil servants.
“Just as Fine Gael and Labour have performed a spectacular U-turn on the subject of decentralisation, now it is the turn of the Greens to get in on the act,” Mr Cullen said.
The Greens yesterday attacked the Government’s plans to move over 10,000 civil servants from the capital and said it was clearly not aimed at balanced regional development.
