Up to 10,000 jobs would be relocated under the Government's decentralisation proposals, the Minister of State for Finance, Mr Martin Cullen, said.

He said his Department had received representations on behalf of, or submissions from, every county. "These have included over 90 cities, towns and villages anxious to accommodate a decentralised Government office."

He was speaking during a debate on a Fine Gael private member's motion calling on the Government to implement a concerted and comprehensive programme of public and private sector decentralisation and regional development.

He said that almost 50 per cent of all civil servants were located outside Dublin, and, while decentralisation could not account for all of that, it had played a major part.

The House will vote on the motion tonight.