Minister for Finance Brian Cowen today hailed the Government's controversial decentralisation programme after opening Department of Finance offices in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Mr Cowen also announced that 100 jobs in the Revenue Commissioner were to be decentralised to Navan, Co Meath.
"Decentralisation is now a reality in 12 new locations, and over 2,000 civil servants will have relocated to 29 locations by the end of 2007.
"This steady level of progress is an indication of the level of interest in relocating among civil servants and represents an endorsement of the ability of public service managers to effectively manage the staffing, business and property issues arising," Mr Cowen said.
The Department of Finance is the first department to have completed its move under decentralisation after officially unveiling new offices in Tullamore.
Nearly 130 civil servants have been relocated from Dublin working in the finance directorate comprising the Paymaster Generals Office, exchequer section, accounts section, salaries section and pensions payments section, and the finance unit for the Department.
Training and development units along with National Development Plan/Structural Funds Unit and the Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit have also moved to the 3,400-square-metre facility on 2.3 acres at the Central Business Park.
"I have no doubt that they [staff] will be very happy working and living in Offaly," said Mr Cowen said.
He added that the proximity of civil servants in other midland towns such as Mullingar, Athlone, Portlaoise and Newbridge created greater promotional opportunity outside the capital.
In relation to the Navan move, Mr Cowen said Co Meath was a major growth area and that Revenue had a customer base approaching 100,000 in the area.