This is the weekend of the Fianna Fβil Ardfheis. It is the only chance each year for the entire party to get together.

Those who take the time to switch on their televisions when there is coverage of the Taoiseach's presidential address may have no clue about what else goes on at the annual gathering. Those who still believe Fianna Fβil remains an uncouth, vaguely illiberal and unsophisticated force in Irish life may have a vision of red-faced, whooping, vitriolic supporters, cheering their champions' every word. That such a perception is without foundation is hardly the point. This perception exists and there is a need to put the record straight.

The ardfheis involves more than set-piece speeches. For two days, every member of the parliamentary party makes himself or herself available to supporters who come from all over Ireland. The elected representatives are held to account for their stewardship as the public face of the party. Lengthy and detailed workshops, the ambit of which spans the entire spectrum of Government - national, international and local - form the backbone of the ardfheis and provide the leadership and membership with a melting-pot of ideas. They also provide a necessary forum for the venting of criticism, hopefully constructive. Most important of all, they are a touchstone for the party's leadership as to the needs of the electorate.

In the course of this ardfheis, there will be a public recapitulation of the core value of Fianna Fβil - an integration of republicanism with its policies and its record in Government.

All political parties have been variously accused of lack of distinctive features. How do you differentiate one party from another? The devastating indictment of political parties among many young people in Ireland is the phrase "politicians are all the same - why should I bother to vote?" Within Fianna Fβil we have always been clear as to our identity and conscious of how we differ from the other political entities in Ireland. Lately, at least, we have become publicly vociferous about our unique credentials as republicans.

That we may not have communicated this and the manner by which Fianna Fβil link republicanism into our policies is our fault. Thankfully, this is a communications gap that we can - and will - close. The starting point for this is the ardfheis.

I am in no doubt that our policies reflect our ideology. Look at the decision to compel developers to dedicate 20 per cent of development land for social and affordable housing. Remember our unswerv-ing commitment to social partnership, consider our commitment to social inclusion and our determination to make the peace process work on this island.

If improving our communications skills as a political party can persuade more of our electorate to exercise their franchise at election time, surely this effort will be worthwhile. It is important for voters to have a positive reason to vote and to vote for a particular party. This is a challenge for all political parties - try to attract voters by the policies you implement and the ideals for which you stand, and avoid the negativity of voting down other parties.

When you cast a Fianna Fβil vote, you cast a vote for social inclusion, effective wealth creation for the benefit of all, consistency and vision.

When Dermot Ahern announced that he was increasing the Widows Pension by £12.50 this year, as opposed to an average increase of £2.20 under the previous administration, he made that decision on the basis of the redistribution in a prudent yet realistic manner of the fruits of four years proper management of the nation's resources.

At that time, few commentators had predicted the sharp downturn in the world's financial markets and no one could have predicted the attacks in the US on September 11th. The cautious management of the fruits of good times now sees the nation better prepared to face the future. The rejection of boom management for wealth's sake is unique to the present Fianna Fβil-led Government and gives real life to concepts that other parties speak about.

We believe in a just society, and not just in theory. We have also used our period in Government to promote this.

Eoin Ryan and other Ministers have focused on 25 of the most disadvantaged areas in the State to improve health, education, childcare, community facilities and policing, as a positive and consistent application of this party's core aim - the creation of an Ireland where every individual has the opportunity to realise their potential. The £15 billion spend on Social Inclusion Measures under the National Development Plan testifies to this, as does the introduction of the highest minimum wage in Europe.

I do not accept that Fianna Fβil should have to justify its policies in terms of liberality, progressiveness or social justice. It is my belief that the facts should be allowed to speak for themselves. Fianna Fβil remains the single largest party, with the largest support in the State, both in opinion polls and at the ballot box.

Beauty contests are generally unedifying and when one party pits itself against another, emphasising the shortcomings of the other instead of concentrating on its own strengths, is it any wonder people turn off?

The Labour Party stand for socialism; Fine Gael, under Michael Noonan, stands for social democracy. Let them concentrate on their message and we will concentrate on ours.

Next summer, when the politicians knock on the State's doors in search of votes, they had better have worked out the answer to a number of pertinent questions. What about health care, house prices and inflation - remember that word? It means that prices will rise and jobs go. It is happening already.

While it is my hope that we are looking at a blip in our economic progress, continued caution is vital to maintain our competitiveness and viability.

The challenge for Fianna Fβil, and for all other political parties, is to market their policies in the context of their ideology. It demands a positive approach and a basic rethink of how we relate to the electorate.

We must lay out our own stalls and make our goods more attractive to the customers - not by rubbishing those on the stall next door, but by just having a better product.

dandrews@irish-times.ie