I will call the Members in the order they indicated. The first is Deputy MacSharry. I have nine Members, so we will try and respect that and include all nine.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The programme for Government, in the section on jobs and rural development on page 41, it speaks of revitalising all of Ireland and creating a substantial number of jobs - some 135,000 - outside the capital. It says that we are going to give an additional €200 million to the budget of IDA Ireland to help it attract jobs to those particular areas. At what point did the Cabinet decide to begin to reverse the policy of decentralisation? It seems that the information section of the Department of Social Protection is set to be decentralised almost entirely to the Department's office in Dublin. That is 32 positions, and while those individuals will not lose their specific jobs because they will be redeployed into current or future vacancies, it will clearly have an impact on those who wish to transfer back in the direction of the north west as these 32 positions will have to be dealt with first.

It will also have implications from a cost perspective in Dublin, with the establishment of a new section that had been quite successfully decentralised more than ten years ago.

A question.

At what point did the Cabinet decide to reverse the policy, which was successful, of decentralisation and recentralise aspects of Departments and entire sections back to Dublin?

Go raibh maith agat.

When the Taoiseach answers the question-----

Deputy, there are other Members.

-----will he address how he expects IDA Ireland and other agencies to do their job effectively-----

I cannot allow the Deputy to continue.

-----when the Government is pursuing a policy to take jobs and sections out of constituencies?

Deputy, I have to be fair to all Members.

A structured and well managed decentralisation is always successful. We have gone a long way from the days of writing 53 towns on the back of an envelope and coming in here and announcing decentralisation just like that. Deputy MacSharry may remember those days.

You have decentralised nothing.

The policy is centralisation.

I hope the west and the north west are looking at the development of the new IDA plant in Sligo and I know the region is working very hard for the amalgamation of the institutes of technology to provide a technological university. I know the area is benefitting from the economics of the Wild Atlantic Way and the massive increase in tourism. I am sure the region appreciates the extra expenditure in Ireland West Airport Knock and the opportunity for new flights coming in. I am glad to see Norwegian Air has been approved in respect of Cork Airport and I hope it will extend to Shannon Airport, where pre-clearance exists, and possibly to Ireland West Airport Knock to an extent also.

It is not a case of reversing policy.

But the Minister has done so.

A very clear policy is being pursued by the Minister, with 135 out of 200 jobs outside the Dublin region and a massive programme for broadband provision throughout the country to make every place attractive-----

What about an answer to the question?

-----as a location for investment and growth, and power, water and communications are all being worked on.

What about what Deputy MacSharry asked the Taoiseach?

We cannot deliver with a magic wand as the Deputy might expect.