Job move shambles as just 750 opt to go
Plan to decentralise 10,000 civil servants at standstill
THE Government's ill-fated plan to move 10,000 public servants out of Dublin has ground to a halt.
Fewer than 1,000 staff have moved in the three years since the decentralisation plan was announced.
And the Irish Independent has learned that some of those who have made the move were already based outside Dublin.
The costly shambles was denounced last night by Opposition politicians.
Labour's finance spokeswoman Joan Burton said the latest figures proved the Government had pulled a "political stroke" when announcing the plan in December 2003.
The plan was unveiled in the 2003 Budget by then Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy, who warned it would be an "electoral catastrophe" if the 10,000 transfers had not been completed by the next general election. But only about 750 public servants have moved so far and the Government's Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) concedes that, at best, only around 2,000 will be in new locations by the time of the election next year.
The latest figures show that:
* Only about 750 staff will have moved by the end of the year.
* Only two of the 390 FAS head office staff destined for Birr have actually moved to the Co Offaly town - and they were new recruits.
* Not a single one of 11 recent FAS head office promotions has opted to leave Dublin.
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