I and the Independent Deputies want the Dáil to meet next week for a comprehensive discussion on these issues. The Tánaiste's Government is now a hobbling paragon of incompetence, exceeded only by its arrogance. This week it was forced to back off from bullying FÁS workers into involuntarily decentralising to the constituency of the Minister for Finance. Some time ago, when the Tánaiste could bluster no longer on the health crisis, she admitted it was a crisis. Last week, we heard a slight bleat from her about the situation in the "to be decentralised" State agencies, where 56 out of 2,500 workers only are prepared to decentralise and 158 out of 1,200 specialist and technical staff only are prepared to go. The Government has taken a valid idea, a necessary policy of balanced and equitable regional development, and turned it into a mockery and a shambles with a cynical and opportunistic approach. We are left with a mess this week.

Communities in the regions throughout the country have been abused and given the impression that 10,000 public sector workers would be arriving in a short time to boost their local economies, a valid aspiration on their behalf. It was a cheap and opportunistic stroke with no prior planning, preparation or consultation. Mindful of the media fascination last week with the Taoiseach's facial arrangements, I can only equate the mess of decentralisation with a botched make-up job. It was slapped on in a hurry, there was no foundation, with blobs of paint which everyone could see through.

Hear, hear.

Admittedly, there was no blusher, as this Government is incapable of blushing.

There goes the blusher, Deputy McDowell.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform seems to have applied a shade of purple this morning.

He is gone to consult Pat Kenny.

The Deputy's time is concluded.

Is there a request up there?

Deputy Joe Higgins, without interruption.

Inevitably, in the first glare of searching lights the whole thing disintegrates into running rivulets. They could be wet boreens around Caherciveen. The Government has put in charge of this a colleague of the Tánaiste, a Minister of State whose first thought was to show up in his constituency in Offaly thinking that he had been cast to play a bit part in a remake of the man from Marlboro. Now he believes he is a real estate hustler playing Monopoly with the taxpayers' property and money, having alerted every speculator in the country who have now doubled and trebled the price of land around the regions.

Hear, hear.

The land was in public ownership until a few months ago.

Is it any wonder that this opportunistic and cynical approach would leave communities throughout the country cheated? Is it any wonder that it would leave thousands of public sector workers about as enthusiastic for it as veteran Fine Gaelers dragooned into playing the anti-treatyites in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley"?

At least we won the Eurovision.

Fine Gael should watch its back.

What does the Tánaiste say to these communities this morning? What does she say about State agencies, the professional and specialist staff? What does she say to the thousands of public servants who have opted to leave but now find themselves in limbo? May we have an honest debate from the Government, for a change, on the mess which has been created?

Hear, hear.

I am delighted the Deputy is so knowledgeable about make-up and foundation, but one can now get all-in-one and a person does not need both.

We cannot get it from this Government.

The Government is committed to its decentralisation programme.

As amended.

It has not been amended.

It has.

It has been amended for the next general election.

The intention is that FÁS will be decentralised to Birr around Easter 2009. I acknowledge and repeat the fact that if a person works for one of the State agencies, there is no possibility of moving into the Civil Service or another State agency.

Was that not approved with Mr. McCreevy?

No.

The Tánaiste, without interruption.

Decentralisation is clearly voluntary.

It is now. It was not so last week.

It has always been voluntary and it is also very popular.

That is news also.

One of the most frequent questions I am asked by many civil servants is when it will happen.

Everywhere I go it is the first question I am asked.

The Tánaiste should be allowed to speak without interruption. The Minister should allow the Tánaiste to speak without interruption.

With regard to specialist staff, the Government very successfully decentralised the Marine Institute to Galway, and all but two of the staff moved in that decentralisation programme. It is not the case that professional staff with expertise in a particular area are not prepared to move to locations outside Dublin.

I suggest the Tánaiste start by taking the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, away from responsibility for decentralisation. Maybe he could be put in charge of the Taoiseach's make-up department. The eye shadow might finish up on the Taoiseach's chin and the rouge on his ears.

The Deputy is very old-fashioned.

At least he could not do much damage in that role with regard to the economy, the country and regional development.

This is a crucial policy of regional development which is very important to communities throughout the country as well as to Dublin which suffers from the terrible mess of traffic congestion etc. Applied in an organic and principled way, it could be a very positive policy for the people. It could improve public services and help communities. In the way this Government has approached it, bringing it forward as a cynical, opportunistic local election stroke, it has been reduced to the existing shambles.

Will the Government allow this Dáil to have a comprehensive debate on the matter? Will it, for a change, come in honestly and put in front of the Dáil and the people of the country a method of proceeding in a proper, planned and realistic way? This would satisfy the needs of balanced and devolved regional development, as well as protecting the rights of public sector workers who have been used cynically as pawns.

We wish to ensure that, on one hand, the decentralisation programme is done in a way which delivers effective public services. It should be done voluntarily and there should also be balanced regional development. Like many of my predecessors and my successor as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who have tried to convince some of the world's largest corporations to locate in regional areas of this country, I believe there is nothing wrong with the Government exemplifying this. It is achievable. A debate would be a good idea and the Deputy should discuss it with the Whips.