Fianna Fail on course to secure a Dail majority

FIANNA Fail has made considerable advances in its negotiations to secure majority Dail support for the installation of a minority Coalition Government with the Progressive Democrats tomorrow.

Senior sources confirmed that the Labour leadership had sanctioned the nomination of Mr Seamus Pattison as Ceann Comhairle when the Dail meets at 3 p.m. tomorrow. The election of the Carlow/Kilkenny TD, the father of the 28th Dail, will be the first item of business before the election of the new Taoiseach.

Mr Pattison told The Irish Times last night he had not been offered the £80,980 a year post, but that he had "let it be known that he would be in the Dail today.

The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Ahern, is believed to have concluded negotiations yesterday with the Independent TD, Mr Jackie Healy-Rae. Party sources indicated that Mr Healy-Rae, who failed to secure a Fianna Fail nomination in South Kerry in the general election, had entered an arrangement with Mr Ahern for a full Government term.

He is also expected to be invited to join the Fianna Fail parliamentary party in the near future. He could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

The Fianna Fail Dail Comhairle Ceanntair in South Kerry, meanwhile, decided on Monday night to nominate Sen Tom Fitzgerald for the Seanad election, overlooking Mr Brian O'Leary, the unsuccessful Fianna Fail candidate in the general election.

Fianna Fail also hopes to secure a long-term arrangement with the Independent Wicklow TD, Ms Mildred Fox, who met Mr Ahern yesterday. Party sources indicated that negotiations with Ms Fox were nearing completion. Mr Ahern will meet her again today.

The election of Mr Pattison as Ceann Comhairle and the support of Mr Healy-Rae and Ms Fox would ensure a majority for Mr Ahern's Government in the new Dail.

The Fianna Fail leader also met the Donegal Independent, Mr Harry Blaney, for two hours yesterday. Party sources believe that he could support Mr Ahern's election tomorrow.

A press conference scheduled by the Green Party for noon today to announce how its two TDs - Mr Trevor Sargent and Mr John Gormley - will vote tomorrow, was postponed last night after a meeting of its advisory group. A Green spokeswoman said negotiations were still ongoing and further information was being sought from the parties.

Contacts with the TV deflector TD from Donegal South-West, Mr Thomas Gildea, were being re-established last night despite earlier Fianna Fail indications that he could not be relied upon for support. Fianna Fail sources were anxious to tease out the legal implications of deflector systems.

Meanwhile, Mr Ahern has begun the task of forming his Cabinet, sending out strong signals that he intends to change some Department portfolios.