Leaders of a Civil Service union were sharply criticised yesterday by some members for not providing stronger opposition to the Government's decentralisation programme.
However, after a sometimes heated debate, a majority of delegates to the Public Service Executive Union's annual conference in Tralee backed the union executive's stance on the issue.
The debate exposed acute divisions among civil servants about the merits of the programme, which proposes the relocation of more than 10,000 civil and public servants within three years.
The PSEU, which has about 9,000 members and represents staff at executive officer and higher executive level, has a long-standing policy of being neutral on the principle of decentralisation.
Its incoming deputy general secretary, Mr Tom Geraghty, told the conference that the union's policy was based on the "simple fact" that there were large divisions on the issue among the union's membership.
Members could be broken into three categories, he said. The first comprised thousands already located outside Dublin. For them, the lack of career opportunities outside the capital had long been a problem which was capable of being rectified, in part at least by a significant decentralisation programme.
The second group was the significant proportion of members based in Dublin who were interested in relocating. The third, likely to be a majority of Dublin-based members, comprised people who wanted to remain in the capital. For them, the programme had created a high level of apprehension and even fear.
Mr Geraghty urged delegates to support a motion from the union's executive reaffirming that it was "neither for nor against decentralisation, as such". The motion also committed the union to facilitate members wishing to relocate from Dublin while protecting the interests of those who wished to remain.
Although the motion was passed following an hour-long debate, it was roundly criticised by a majority of speakers.
Mr Nigel Hutson, of the third secretaries branch, said that the motion was "completely inadequate" to deal with the issues arising from the Government's proposed programme. Members were being told that relocations would be voluntary, but there was nothing voluntary about being told a whole department was being moved to Wexford.
In effect, a staff member was being told "we're moving your life down to Wexford and your job down to Wexford. You can stay in Dublin, but your job will be gone and your chances of promotion will be limited".
Mr Eamonn Waters, of the environment, heritage and local government branch, was one of several speakers to express concern about the way the issue was being handled by the PSEU. However, another delegate, Ms Majella Murphy, questioned the motivation of some of those opposing the decentralisation programme.
