A Government Minister promised a "smooth and speedy" transfer of civil servants from Dublin to Knock International Airport when he visited the facility yesterday.
Launching a report prepared by the Western Development Commission, Jobs for Towns, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Éamon Ó Cuív, said it was his personal ambition that his Department, which is due to move to the airport, would be the first to decentralise.
Mr Ó Cuív said he believed there would be "significant progress" on the decentralisation of the 140 civil servants involved by the end of next year. He said he had received a full commitment from senior civil servants that they would facilitate the transfer in every way.
He added: "Of course every civil servant, when the time comes, will have to make an individual choice as to whether they personally will relocate. Of course I understand that will be a difficult decision for some civil servants but they are fully and absolutely committed to ensuring that the Department transfers here as speedily and as smoothly as possible."
The secretary general of the Department, Mr Gerry Kearney, who travelled with Mr Ó Cuív to Knock, said officials would "be working wholeheartedly with the Minister" to implement the decision.
Mr Ó Cuív called on private sector companies to follow the Government lead.
The WDC's report highlights the potential of 20 small- and medium-sized towns in the west as locations for investment.
The WDC's chief executive, Ms Lisa McAllister, said the relocation of a Government Department to Knock would increase demand for public transport and direct access, in particular, to Dublin.
She said this could be facilitated by re-opening the Charlestown to Claremorris section of the rail network, thereby linking Charlestown/Knock to Dublin and also complete part of the Western Rail Corridor.
Earlier, a daily return flight to Glasgow, to start in March, was announced.