The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has pledged to establish a separate application stream for Dublin-based jobs in the civil service for officials who do not wish to take part in decentralisation.
In a move seen as a response to civil servants who are unhappy that there is no option to express a preference to remain in Dublin in the Central Applications Facility, Mr Ahern said the Government would develop a similar process for officials who wish to stay in the city.
While the development comes just days before the elections, Mr Ahern denied it amounted to a climb-down by the Government.
"What I'm saying today is that people who want to stay; they may not be in their same Departments or agencies, but they'll stay in the system, and we will do that in an organised, regulated way."
Speaking in Cabra at a function in Beggsboro football ground, Mr Ahern accepted that the unions who were completely in favour of the plan represented mostly younger civil servants.
However, he insisted that he understood the concerns of officials who did not wish to take part in decentralisation.
"I appreciate that there is a great deal of uncertainty among the many thousands of public servants who, though they wish to stay in Dublin, their jobs are being decentralised.
"Just as we have launched a Central Applications Facility - through which those who wish to decentralise can apply for the decentralised locations of their choice - we will be developing a similar facility for those who wish to remain in the city."
Mr Ahern said the project was not an anti-Dublin initiative. His comments were part of his efforts "to get some publicity for what I've been saying for months, and to reassure public servants that those who want to stay in Dublin would be dealt with as much as those who want to go.
"I'm getting people who are asking me how quick is it, why is there a delay in it. Others say we never want to go. But there are two sides to it. We have to keep in mind that there are two sides in it, and from our point of view we will administratively and effectively deal with it."
Trade unions representing senior and professional grade officials remain concerned about the plan.
Mr Willy Canning, branch secretary of the architectural, engineering and heritage services branch in Impact, said the initiative did not take into account that a "fair number" of officials were in specialist grades in which the only option was decentralisation.
