I understand that the Taoiseach cannot be here this morning because of the workload associated with the Presidency of the European Union. However, I cannot understand why the Tánaiste has consistently failed to turn up to represent the Government in the Chamber. I recall instances when previous Governments were in power when people went into hysterics because both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were absent and the country could not be properly managed. The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Walsh, who represents the Executive this morning, should understand that, having travelled approximately 12,000 km around the country in the past few weeks, the extent of frustration and depth of feeling and anger among people is the most palpable I have ever seen.

I draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that we are dealing with questions to the Minister.

We are dealing with Leaders' Questions.

The Deputy should ask a question.

He is entitled to say what he wants. Does the Chair want to take over that as well? We may as well close the place down.

Deputy Kenny asked whether the Minister understood the frustration that exists. Is that not a question?

I am not sure what type of protective mood the Chair is in this morning, but neither the Taoiseach nor the Tánaiste is here. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has been handed a brief from which he will answer questions, one of which I would like to ask him now. People outside this House are talking about the arrogance, incompetence and broken promises of the Government. The Government promised 2,000 extra gardaí, but none was delivered, it promised 200,000 medical cards, but none was delivered and it promised 3,000 hospital beds, but none was delivered. It wasted €52 million of public money on electronic voting. The streets are not safe to walk. The old are left in despair and the young are without facilities. A shambles has been made of decentralisation. There is a despicable broken promise whereby the killers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe are to be allowed to walk the streets and probably canvass for some of the political parties.

Does the Minister accept that the Government has no shame and that its programme for Government has been abandoned? How does he account for the fact that thousands of people talk about the litany of broken promises? Will the Minister tell the people why the Government has failed to live up to its word and has reneged on the promises given to the people when it bought their trust in 2002?

The people will tell the Government that on 11 June anyway.

I also have been out on the hustings and the people I have met are in a very buoyant mood.

What are they growing?

If matters were as bad as Deputy Kenny says they are, his party would be doing better in Dublin. Judging by this morning's opinion polls it has some questions to answer. There has been an outstanding performance by this economy and by workers here. The levels of employment and investment and the general performance of our economy will stand comparison with those of any country in either the EU or the OECD.

That is despite the Government.

The Minister is spending too much time abroad.

The record will show categorically — it will show it in Cork South-West as well — that this country is performing well. In the first five years we met our targets and surpassed many of them. We are only half way through this term and we will meet our targets in this term as well.

I will have a bet with the Minister on that.

I am glad to note that the Minister's opinion is that people are very buoyant. In discussing issues with people on the doorsteps in Dublin, one Fianna Fáil candidate had difficulty in remembering what countries joined the European Union on 1 May.

If the Government has met all its targets, will the Minister explain why it has failed to reduce waiting lists, why it has not delivered 2,000 extra gardaí, why it has broken its promise to provide 200,000 medical cards, why it has not delivered 3,000 extra hospital beds, why the Minister present failed on the nitrates directive and on live exports and made a shambles of decentralisation? The imminent announcement of decentralisation to Portlaoise is not valid, according to the Minister's staff. Workers from other Departments are being given preference and the 50 the Minister mentioned are not even included in the decentralisation programme. How can he stand up here and say the Government has met its targets when it has proven itself to be the worst ever Government in the past 50 years?

Hear, hear.

Why is the Government kow-towing to the IRA?

I suggest that Deputies leave it to their leader to ask supplementary questions.

I repeat that the key indicators of economic performance have all been met. They are outstanding and bear comparison with comparable economies anywhere in the OECD in terms of growth in double digit figures over the past decade, with employment creation at an average of 9%, which has increased the workforce from 1.2 million to 1.8 million, inflation in low single figures and investment at an all-time high, with €43 billion in direct foreign investment into Ireland last year. I hope and expect that this level of performance will continue. We are only two years into a five-year term and I assure the House that we will match if not surpass the record achieved in the last term in office of this Government.

If the Government goes on previous performance it will be in deep trouble.

I will take the Minister's last statement as a threat.

Last week the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform announced the closure of a number of long-established Garda stations and a number of suburban legal aid centres. Will the Minister for Agriculture and Food tell the House exactly what Garda stations and legal aid centres are involved? We are entitled to know because the Minister for Agriculture and Food will know better than most how this is undermining rural communities in particular, especially given the closure of post offices that is already under way.

Can I have the Minister's attention? Will he say which suburban law centres will be shut down? The head office has been transferred to Cahirciveen although virtually no staff transferred with it. However, I have discovered that there is a second head office in Dublin and the chief executive is there. He must travel to Cahirciveen with the director of legal aid and other senior staff when they wish to get certain business done. Is this the model that will be applied to decentralisation? The Government is engaged in the forcible relocation of 10,000 civil servants. Many of them have put roots down in this city and their children are being educated here. If the Minister for Defence had not got diplomatically ill this morning, I would have asked him about his forcible transfer of staff to a premises in Roscrea that is apparently owned by a Fianna Fáil councillor.

The Deputy's two minutes have concluded.

How can one reconcile the professed aspiration of decentralisation with the proposed shut-down of Garda stations and post offices? Look at the experiment where staff have been transferred. New staff had to be recruited to take up the positions. The Minister apparently intends to close some of the Garda stations in the areas of highest crime in Dublin. Which ones will close?

I have some experience of decentralisation because 75% of the Department of Agriculture and Food has been decentralised out of Dublin.

Quite appropriate.

How many were the result of the Minister's decision?

The most recent decentralisation was to Johnstown Castle in Wexford and to Cavan and Castlebar.

They do not run Garda stations.

How many of them run Garda stations?

The Deputy raised the question of decentralisation. It is intended that there will be further decentralisation under the current programme to Portlaoise. That has commenced already and will continue. It is voluntary. There is an implementation body under the chairmanship of Mr. Phil Flynn and it has produced its report. It will produce another report in July. Each Department has an implementation group and the decentralisation programme is monitored by the decentralisation group within each Department. The voluntary nature of the decentralisation programme is continuing.

The interesting aspect is that public statements are made, in the Dáil and elsewhere, by party spokespeople while in the individual towns identified——

Will the Minister answer the question?

What happened to the question?

What about the Garda stations?

——questions are being asked——

What occasion did the Minister offer for statements on decentralisation?

Deputy Richard Bruton, this is a Labour Party question.

There has been no occasion whatever and no answers to questions.

In fairness to the Labour Party, Deputy Bruton should leave the questions to its Members.

——as to what is being done about it, when it will start and when people will come down to those towns. With regard to the other question Deputy Rabbitte raised on Garda strength and the closure of Garda stations——

What ones will have to close?

——Garda strength is at an all-time high. If the Deputy has a specific question, he should put down a parliamentary question on the matter.

I believe that the Ceann Comhairle has a role here. If the Taoiseach must be away on business——

Sorry, Deputy, with regard to the role of the Chair, the Chair might have been negligent this morning in that the Deputy asked two questions rather than one and, under Standing Order 26(3)(a), he is only entitled to ask one question on a topical issue.

No, I did not. I asked one question about Garda stations and I did not get an answer. I merely pointed out the conflict of closing rural Garda stations and post offices with a professed commitment to decentralisation. With all due respect, I will explain what I am asking without help from you.

Sorry, Deputy——

You are the most partisan Chair this House has ever had.

Deputy——

I asked questions about Garda stations and I am merely pointing out——

I ask the Deputy to withdraw the remark that the Chair is partisan.

I am merely pointing out to you——

Deputy, I am asking you to withdraw the remark.

He is losing it.

I am not losing it and I do not want advice from the boot-boy from Dundalk.

Deputy Rabbitte, I ask you to withdraw the remark that the Chair is partisan.

A Cheann Comhairle, time after time you intervene to protect the Government.

Deputy, I am asking you to withdraw the remark.

Time after time, you do it virtually every day and I am sick of it.

Deputy, I am asking you to withdraw the remark.

I am sick of your partisan approach.

Deputy, I am asking you——

You are congenitally incapable of being fair.

If the Deputy does not withdraw the remarks, he knows the options. I ask you to withdraw the remarks.

I asked about Garda stations and I got no answer.

Deputy, before you proceed, do you intend to withdraw the remarks?

I will not withdraw the remarks because you are unfair every day.

Deputy——

You intervene to protect the Government at every opportunity.

Deputy, I ask you to withdraw that remark.

I will not withdraw it. You are disgracefully partisan.

All right, Deputy.

I am sick of it.

As you are the leader of a party, the Chair intends to give you time.

Any time you can intervene to protect the Government, you intervene. The Minister did not answer one iota of the question I asked about Garda stations.

I intend to give you time, Deputy, to consider your position before you are asked to leave the House.

I asked about Garda stations and the Minister did not answer one aspect of the question, then you give me a lecture about decentralisation.

I am suspending the sitting for five minutes.

You can suspend what you like.

Deputy Rabbitte, once again I request that you withdraw your remark.

I am sorry my remarks led to disruption of the House, but I regret I cannot withdraw them. I will withdraw from the House rather than do so.

Deputy Rabbitte withdrew from the Chamber.

May I raise a point of order?

No, we are on Leaders' Questions.

May I raise a point of order immediately afterwards?

Yes.

We are dealing with an unprecedented situation. The Ceann Comhairle should take note of the frustration felt by Deputies who are not receiving answers in the House. This must be remedied. The Ceann Comhairle has a role, through the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, in requiring that questions are directly answered. I hope my question will be directly answered.

The relocation of 10,000 civil servants to 51 different locations around the country has been mis-termed decentralisation. Whatever one calls it, will the promises made in this regard be complied with? I ask this question of the Minister for Agriculture and Food because I have before me the report of the decentralisation implementation group, which contains recommended deadlines for decisions and notification of civil servants about their future.

The report states, for example, that information provided by Departments on business units, grades and staff numbers for transfer should be collated by the Department of Finance and signed off by each Secretary General for inclusion in the central applications facility, with a proposed deadline of mid-April 2004, and that fact sheets should be finalised for each of the 53 destination towns and placed on the website of the decentralising organisation, again by mid-April 2004. It refers also to the indicative time scales for the availability of accommodation. The deadline for responsibility of the OPW is the end of April 2004. It refers to the launch of the central applications facility being early May 2004 and the development and overall training plan, for which many civil servants have been waiting, as being the end of May. The end of May deadline, and the other deadlines, have all passed.

Apart from the political opportunism of dropping this bombshell in the budget speech, will the Minister for Agriculture and Food now say to more than 10,000 civil servants throughout the country who are wondering will they have to get a bedsit in Birr and travel back to Bray for the weekend to see their families, or go to Cavan to work for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, that they will have the information before the local and European elections, or is it more cynicism politically to wait until the elections are over?

Hear, hear.

The question of where the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are was raised earlier and I would like to clarify the matter. The Taoiseach as President of the Council of Ministers is representing Ireland throughout Europe today. He will be in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark and France.

I did not raise that matter. I would like an answer to my question.

The Deputy had a preamble to his question. He took five minutes to come to his question.

Deputy Sargent must allow the Minister without interruption.

The Tánaiste is in Paris today and the Minister for Defence took ill.

The Minister is mocking you, a Cheann Comhairle, and mocking the House.

The Chair has no control over answers given in this House and the Deputy is aware of this.

The Minister is mocking the House.

The Minister without interruption.

I can understand that Deputy Sargent might be upset because the opinion polls are not going terribly well for the Green Party.

What is the Minister trying to do?

Obviously the Deputy is making no impact.

As it is Leaders' Questions, the Deputy was entitled to two minutes to submit his question and the Minister is now entitled to three minutes to reply.

The Minister does not know the answer.

The Deputy must allow the Minister without interruption.

Decentralisation is not a new project. It has been going on successfully for some years. I speak as a Minister of a Department where it is extremely successful. Some 75% of the staff of the Department have decentralised to different parts of the country, and decentralisation is continuing. The current programme is a coherent one and an implementation group has been set up. The Deputy referred to the first report of the implementation group. There will be a second report in July.

The central applications facility is already on the website. People are encouraged to give the destination of their choice. The whole programme is voluntary and we expect it to be successful. I do not accept what I hear from spokesmen for different parties in Dublin who are opposing decentralisation while at local level in local towns they are demanding that the programme be expedited and accelerated. This is the height of hypocrisy.

I have not been told why the deadlines have not been complied with.

Deputy Sargent has one minute.

I asked why the deadlines of end of May for locations for child care facilities support services for those moving and individual implementation plans were announced. Civil servants are asking why the deadlines they were promised will not be complied with and the Minister has not answered the question. He referred to his Department's plans which are a total shambles. He is talking about moving the Department of Agriculture and Food laboratories from Model Farm Road to Macroom. People living within six kilometres of the laboratories will have to drive to Macroom in the morning and drive back in the evening. This is not decentralisation, it is increasing the burden and stress on families. Is he expecting people to move to Macroom from Model Farm Road?

A Cheann Comhairle, I expect you to insist on an answer from the Minister. While deadlines were given and people are expecting to have to make plans for their families and themselves, are these deadlines now broken? Is it the case that this will not be announced until after the local and European elections and does it not indicate what a shambles and cynical exercise it is?

The programme is proceeding smoothly.

Have you complied with the deadlines?

On the one hand, the cant on the doorsteps in Dublin is that the Government is bulldozing civil servants out of Dublin and, on the other, we are now being told we are not doing it quickly enough. If the Deputy took the time to access the websites of any of the Departments or State bodies he would get an update on exactly what is happening. The overall implementation group published its first report and it will publish its second report. Each Department and State agency has an implementation committee.

You have withdrawn the questionnaires from Departments.

The programme is working smoothly. I would say to Deputy Ring that decentralisation——

Deputy Ring should leave it to the leader of the Green Party who is competent to look after their questions.

The Deputy was looking for another party not so long ago, so he might join them.

The Minister, Deputy Ahern, should allow the Minister for Agriculture and Food to conclude.

Please allow the Minister to conclude.

The Deputy should update himself on the issue as more than 70 people have already volunteered for Macroom. These people will be extremely welcome in Macroom.

Not from Model Farm Road.

I would say to Deputy Ring that the Castlebar decentralisation has worked extremely well and is providing a good service.

The last question has not been answered. A Cheann Comhairle, you should note that the Minister has mocked you and mocked the House.

That concludes Leaders' Questions. I call Deputy Durkan on a point of order.

The Deputy had an opportunity to submit his questions. He also took a great deal of the Minister's time. I call Deputy Durkan.

On a point of order, it is regrettable that a leader of a party is asked to leave the House on the Order of Business, as happened this morning.

That is not a point of order. We are moving on to Taoiseach's Questions.

I am asking, a Cheann Comhairle, for an early meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to sort out the underlying problems that exist here. It is clear the Government is treating the House with total and absolute contempt because it is putting forward on a daily basis some new puppet to come forward and make excuses for it.

That is not a point of order. We will now move on to Taoiseach's Questions.