The Government was accused yesterday of treating civil servants "like cattle", as opposition to its decentralisation programme intensified.
Delegates to a special conference on the issue, organised by the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants, roundly condemned the programme announced in the December budget.
They also threatened industrial action in the event of members being adversely affected by the plan, to move 10,300 civil and public servants from Dublin within three years.
The union represents civil and public servants in management grades and takes a moderate stance on most issues. Yesterday, the anger of its members was palpable.
"We're not cattle, we're people. These are not ear tags, they are earrings," said Ms Martina Feeney, of the union's foreign affairs branch.
"Tom Parlon wants us to move where the political grass is greener," she added, referring to the Minister of State in charge of overseeing the programme. "But we are not animals, and I'm not Daisy or Marigold."
Mr Seán Ó Riordáin, the union's general secretary, reflected the views of delegates when he said "the dogs on the street" knew aspects of the Government's plans did not make sense. "Even the broadsheets are describing it as daft," he said.
Mr Ó Riordáin said the relocation programme, if handled carefully over an extended timeframe, had the potential to be beneficial and in the public interest. "Equally, if pursued on a 'body count' basis to an unrealistic timeframe dictated by election dates, it has the capacity to be destructive of good government."
Several speakers referred to comments by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, who was reported yesterday to have said failure to deliver the programme would be an electoral "catastrophe" for the Government.
Some claimed this proved that civil servants were being treated as political pawns by Fianna Fáil and the PDs.
Mr Philip Crosby, a senior Revenue official and member of the AHCPS executive, said he would have six words for any Fianna Fáil or PD election candidates who canvassed his home: "Get the hell off my property."
Mr Eamon Corcoran, of the health and children branch, said if a staff member presented a report as poorly thought out as the decentralisation programme, as their supervisor he would have to suggest a performance review of their work. "This programme is a disgrace. How anyone can stand over it, I don't know."
Mr Ó Riordáin welcomed the assurance that all transfers would be voluntary, but said there was a "coercive undertone" about the proposals, and the Department of Finance had already "unilaterally put a halt on certain Dublin promotions".
However, speaking at another event, the Taoiseach said civil servants would not be "intimidated" into relocating to the regions.
The Government was determined to convince civil servants of the advantages of leaving Dublin, and would "sell" the benefits, Mr Ahern said. Decentralisation would also be good for the capital.
Fine Gael's finance spokesman, Mr Richard Bruton, echoed some of the concerns expressed at the AHCPS conference, claiming decentralisation was about the personal electoral interests of ministers and junior ministers.
Three months on from the budget announcement, Mr McCreevy still could not answer the most basic questions about the property arrangements for the new divisions proposed, and there was no estimate of the number of staff in each organisation willing to move.
