Ministers, business groups and local interests have intensively lobbied the Department of Finance for a share in the spoils of decentralisation, writes Carl O'Brien
Inside bulging folders in the Department of Finance there is correspondence from 134 towns vying to be included in the decentralisation programme.
And the message is always the same - they all want a piece of the action. While there was never any official Government request for submissions, it has been the subject of unprecedented lobbying from Ministers, TDs, public representatives, business groups and local interests.
Westport, Co Mayo, is a typical town which realises the stability and status which Civil Service jobs would bring to the area.
Mr James Kennedy, president of Westport Chamber of Commerce, says that given the seasonal nature of the tourism industry, a year-round jobs boost would be ideal for the town.
"On a cold, wet Wednesday night at the end of January, you don't have many tourists about.
"Decentralisation and the Civil Service would bring the kind of stability we need to the area," he says.
The local town council and chamber of commerce submitted a detailed document setting out the advantages to the Government of relocating jobs to the area.
It said that given the town's road and rail access, along with its close proximity to towns such as Ballina and Castlebar, the growing urban centre was ideally suited for decentralised posts.
The Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Mr Michael Ring, says the town is also due a break after failing to be included as a hub for development in the 20-year National Spatial Strategy.
"We were very annoyed at being left out because this is an ideal location," he says.
"People want to live here. A survey done was recently which showed that Mayo was one of the most popular locations for people requesting transfers in the Civil Service.
"It would be ideal for an agency such as the Department of Tourism."
However, the problem for Westport is that it is competing with dozens of other towns which insist they have a similarly convincing case.
Athy, Co Kildare, for example, produced a 10-page glossy brochure for the Department of Finance detailing the advantages of the town's infrastructure, education facilities and house prices.
Carlow County Council hired a consultancy firm to draw up its submission outlining the town's attractions.
Just what impact this lobbying effort will have is doubtful.
But part of the reason for the furious activity would appear to be the perception that Government agencies have been located to area for reasons of political expediency rather than practicality.
The former minister for justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, for instance, moved the Legal Aid Board to his home town of Caherciveen, Co Kerry.
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, transferred the Civil Defence headquarters to his Roscrea base in Co Tipperary.
The former minister for the marine, Mr Fahey, relocated the Marine Institute to his Galway West constituency.
Department of Finance officials, who are drawing up the decentralisation plans, say notions that towns will be "winners" or "losers" out of the process are increasingly outmoded given modern commuting patterns.
Judging by the levels of correspondence from Ministers, TDs and local interests, however, not everyone feels the same way.