Ministers Sile de Valera, John O'Donoghue, Jim McDaid, Dermot Ahern, Joe Walsh, Michael Smith, Mary O'Rourke and Brian Cowen are among members of the Cabinet who have written to the Minister for Finance seeking decentralisation to their home bases. Among the Ministers, as among the 80 or so Oireachtas members who have lobbied, are some with modest aims, but others are very ambitious indeed.
Dr McDaid, for example, wants six Departments and seven semi-State agencies moved to eight locations in his native Co Donegal. Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP, also from Donegal, wants the Department of Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands moved to Gweedore.
Mr Noel Davern (Tipperary South), a Minister of State for Agriculture, has written 14 times in favour of three locations in his constituency - Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel and Cahir. In October 1999 he wrote supporting south Tipperary generally - his most specific proposal was to move Ordnance Survey Ireland to the area. However, Minister of State Mr Ned O'Keeffe has written to Mr McCreevy proposing Fermoy. Mr O'Keeffe also suggests Fermoy, or possibly Mallow, for some specific veterinary lab oratories and agriculture offices. Last May he wrote advocating the move of Teagasc headquarters to Moorepark, Co Cork. In April he said he "strongly recommended" Fermoy, Mitchelstown and Mallow, for civil servants, while Cobh, Midleton and Youghal were "also suitable".
Minister of State for Finance Mr Martin Cullen has made representations on behalf of Dungarvan in his Waterford constituency. Other junior ministers seeking moves to their constituencies include Dr Tom Moffatt (Mayo), Mr Joe Jacob (Wicklow), Mr Hugh Byrne (Wexford) and Mr Noel Treacy (Galway East).
Ms de Valera wrote on behalf of a tourism and property consultant who thought the old convent building in Kilrush would be an ideal place for a Department or agency. Her constituency colleague, Mr Brendan Daly, earmarked the purchasing unit of the Office of Public Works, employing 70 people, and supported Kilrush as a location.
The third Fianna Fail deputy in Co Clare, Mr Tony Killeen, wrote in support of a man with a 12-acre site in Ennis "which he would be prepared to offer" - on a commercial basis. There are dozens more. Mr Noel O'Flynn of Cork North Central wants a section of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs to go to Kilbarry Industrial Estate, or possibly some Cork Corporation land in Blackpool or Polefield. Blarney would be a possibility as well, he suggests.
Among the independents, Mr Jackie Healy-Rae wants something in Dingle, Mr Tom Gildea in Glenties and Ms Mildred Fox in Co Wicklow. Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain wants something for Monaghan town, he says, to reverse the effects of Partition.
Two Dublin deputies also made representations. Mr Pat Carey suggests Bally mun, Finglas, Santry or Darn dale, while Mr Liam Lawlor suggests Clondalkin.