Cavan council has produced a brochure extolling the virtues of the county as a place to live and work for staff serving in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
The Department is set to move to Cavan within the next three years under the decentralisation programme announced by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy.
However, few officials have expressed interest in transferring so far, though there are indications that staff in other Departments may opt to transfer into it.
The glossy brochure has been circulated to all departmental officials in recent days, with the co-operation and encouragement of the Minister, Mr Dermot Ahern.
It reads: "The bustling market town of Cavan, only 70 miles from Dublin, is recognised as a gateway to and from Northern Ireland and a pivotal point on the east-west route between Dundalk and Sligo.
"Having retained its unspoiled and attractive environment free from traffic congestion, Cavan town is one of only nine centres in Ireland selected as a development hub under the National Spatial Strategy.
"Cavan town is an attractive and welcoming location for single people or family groups, its accessibility, wide array of education, health and social and sporting facilities are second to none and are guaranteed to provide an excellent quality of life for you and your family."
Emphasising the lower house prices available in the region, Cavan County Council said three-bedroom semi-detached houses can be bought for €130,000; four-bedroom semi-detached houses for €145,000, while four-bedroom detached houses can be bought for €170,000 upwards.
"With over 2,000 housing units receiving planning permission in recent times, there is no deficit in suitable housing property in the town."
Dealing with childcare, the brochure said: "There is a range of high-quality affordable and accessible childcare facilities to meet the needs of working parents within the general town area.
"Altogether there are six registered full- day-care providers and seven sessional service providers catering for this need.
"There is another side to Cavan which is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike and that is the energetic and sociable nightlife which is catered for by an abundance of high-quality restaurants, pubs, hotels and nightclubs, along with a variety of evening entertainment."
The brochure includes telephone numbers for auctioneers and the contact details for primary and post-primary schools in towns and surrounding villages.
Cavan College of Further Studies "is now recognised as being one of the largest and most successful post-Leaving Certificate colleges outside of Dublin and Cork".
It concludes: "A new college on a greenfield site has been approved to commence construction in 2004. A range of universities and other third-level education institutions are located within 1½ hours from Cavan, e.g., Dublin, Dundalk, Belfast, Maynooth, Athlone, Sligo and Letterkenny."
