Unions representing civil servants have reacted angrily to suggestions by the Department of Finance that promotion prospects might be limited to staff who sign up for decentralisation.
The department said such discussions were still at an early stage, but that policy on promotions had to take account of the reality of decentralisation.
It is less than a month since the Government announced its first phase of decentralisation, the relocation of 3,500 civil servants to 20 locations outside Dublin by 2008.
The Government intends decentralising around 7,000 more jobs in the Civil Service and State agencies.
The Civil Public and Services Union said the protection of Dublin-based staff was a condition of its continued support for decentralisation.
The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants and the Public Service Executive Union have also expressed their total opposition to any attempts to limit promotion prospects to staff who sign up for decentralisation.
