The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, this morning described the Government's commitment to the decentralisation programme as absolute.
Speaking at the party's Ard Fhéis in the CityWest Hotel in Dublin, Mr McCreevy said as many as 680 proposals had been submitted for sites to house the 10,000 civil servants who are to be moved out of the capital as part of the decentralisation programme.
He said that no-one would be forced to move but expressed his confidence that the programme would be fully subscribed.
Mr McCreevy said the Decentralisation Implementaion Group would present its plan to Government later this month ans said that civil servents has nothing to fear from the moves.
The minister also said the Government's pension's plan was on schedule and described it as the envy of Europe. "We are making provision now for the problems we will face in the future," he told delegates.
Mr McCreevy also said he plans to bring proposals before the Cabinet with a view to keeping the costs of tribunals under control.
He said the cost of tribunals up to November €101m, but this only covered the State's costs and the costs of other parties were would make the figure considerably higher.
The Taoiseach last night insisted that local hospitals will remain strong and regional health services will be transformed by the Government's health reform programme.
Mr Ahern took the unusual step of devoting his entire opening address to the health issue. He retained his strongest words for hospital consultants, who he said should immediately return to negotiations over a new consultants' contract.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) walked out of the talks last month, giving the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, four weeks to resolve a dispute over insurance of hospital doctors against malpractice claims.
Mr Ahern said a new consultants' contract was essential for the Government's health reforms to work.
It would lead to the doubling of consultant numbers, ensuring senior doctors were available on a 24-hour basis; reducing the workload on junior doctors and ensuring hospitals would operate throughout the week.
Mr Ahern's main address to the Ard Fheis will take place tonight.