The announcement last week by the Government of a major programme of decentralisation has caused consternation in some areas and has been a source of consolation in others.

Among the Front Benches.

Either the programme is a reaction to the Government's fear of the decimation of its parties in the local elections or it is a consequence of a well-thought out and well planned strategy. If it is the latter, then I assume the Government had access to reports and detailed criteria on which some towns were selected for decentralisation and others were not selected.

I assume the Tanáiste does not want Ministers of State claiming decisions were made based on their positions and political interference. Is such evidence available? Did the Government have at its disposal detailed criteria and reports upon which decisions were made to relocate public servants to various places around the country? Has the Tanáiste seen this material and were judgments based on it?

Given that 80 towns were not chosen as locations for public servants, will the Government publish the criteria, reports and assessments so everybody can understand the basis upon which these decisions were made?

I do not accept there is widespread consternation about this matter. I do not know to whom Deputy Kenny has been talking.

There is consternation.

Perhaps there is widespread consternation in Fine Gael. I assure Deputies there is not widespread consternation in the public service.

There is in Carrick-on-Suir.

Please allow the Tanáiste to continue without interruption.

This matter was under consideration for four years. Deputy Kenny, his predecessor and others raised the issue of decentralisation on many occasions in this House. Nobody thought it would happen.

It might not happen.

The first criteria is to determine how we can have an effective public service. The most important issue is that we have an efficient and effective public service. If some of the larger companies in the world operate effectively on a decentralised basis, many operating from this country from places like the Deputy's constituency in the west, there is no reason the Government of Ireland cannot operate accordingly.

We considered relocating whole Departments and decided to relocate eight of them. The headquarters of the Department of Education and Science is being relocated to Mullingar, the Department of Agriculture and Food is being relocated to Portlaoise and so on. We also considered the cluster effect so that, within a region, public servants would have the opportunity to develop a career path and would not have to remain in a particular grade or organisation, or move back to Dublin, as often happened in the past. It was on that basis and on the basis of the submissions from 130 towns, that we made our decision.

Many areas have yet to be identified. There is no reason towns not successfully identified last week by the Minister for Finance cannot make a good case for areas such as the IT section of the Revenue Commissioners and some 500 people working in the area of health who are going to be decentralised. Those issues remain to be resolved in terms of relocation destinations.

At the end of the day, the decision was a political one. There was widespread consultation four years ago throughout Departments at every level. From my experience, the Government's announcement has been well received in Departments.

The Tanáiste has not answered my question. I accept this issue was discussed for four years and that Irish companies operate on a worldwide scale from Ireland. If the decision is based on a well thought out and planned strategy, then the Tanáiste as a member of Government had at her disposal reports based on four years of discussions, criteria based on four years analysis and indicators based on the national spatial strategy. She, therefore, has a volume of information which she should now publish. She has not answered my question in this regard.

The Tanáiste rightly said there are towns that have not been identified for inclusion in this regard. They are entitled to know the reason they have not been included. We heard comments from the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that public servants were included in a sort of raffle for relocation to various parts of the country based on his appointment and interference.

Has the Tanáiste seen the evidence of four years of discussions and reports? Was the matter discussed by Cabinet? In the interests of fairness and equity, will the Government now publish the criteria and documentation so those towns not included can have that information at their disposal? Will the Government publish, or not publish, that information?

It is a straight question requiring a straight answer.

We did not commission an outside consultancy report on this matter.

That is a first.

Perhaps that is something the Tanáiste should do more often.

The Government had a great deal of inside information.

Was there an internal report?

Please allow the Tanáiste to continue without interruption.

Deputies appear to be suggesting we should have brought in an outside group, independent of Government, to examine the criteria.

The Government should publish the information.

The Tánaiste should answer the question.

The Government had four years to study the matter. It should publish the information.

Deputy Kenny, please allow the Tanáiste to continue without interruption.

This matter was discussed for four years. Deputy Kenny and many of his colleagues were critical of the fact that it took so long to make decisions.

The Tánaiste should answer the question.

We examined the national spatial strategy and the infrastructure in various towns. We made sure larger operations went to towns with critical infrastructure.

The Government should publish the information.

Balanced regional developed governed the Government's decision in this regard.

There were letters from every Opposition Member.

It is all clichés.

The Minister, Deputy Smith, should allow the Tánaiste to continue without interruption.

The Tánaiste should answer the question.

We received submissions from the Opposition.

I ask Deputies to afford the Tánaiste the same courtesy as was afforded to Deputy Kenny and allow her to answer the question without interruption.

Her own Minister is interrupting her. The Chair must be blind to that side of the House.

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. Deputy Kenny has criticised us for selecting 53 towns instead of 130 towns.

On a point of order—

The Deputy had his say. Which towns does Deputy Kenny think we should not have selected?

I wish to ask a further question.

Deputy Kenny is being disorderly and I ask him to resume his seat. There is provision for only one supplementary question and the Deputy has asked it.

The Tánaiste will not answer the question.

Come home from Parlon country.

The watchdog has its nose in the trough.

Deputies should allow Deputy Rabbitte to speak without interruption. He is entitled to the same courtesy as was afforded to Deputy Richard Bruton's party leader.