The Taoiseach said yesterday that the Irish people had a real choice to make between two very different alternatives in the election, and no one could know what the outcome would be. He was speaking after asking President McAleese to dissolve the Dáil and call an election for Thursday, May 24th.
Mr Ahern went to Áras an Uachtaráin before 8am to get the President's signature on an order for the dissolution of the 29th Dáil before she left for an official visit to the United States.
Later, he read out a statement to journalists at Fianna Fáil's opening press conference of the campaign but, to the surprise of the media, he refused to answer any questions.
In his short statement, the Taoiseach said that, once again, the moment had arrived for the people to decide Ireland's future.
"No one knows what the outcome of this election will be. The people have a real choice and two very different alternatives before them. That choice will frame Ireland's future, and the consequences of this election will be felt for many years to come," said Mr Ahern.
There was speculation that the timing of the Taoiseach's decision to dissolve the Dáil, and his refusal to answer questions, were connected with the fact that the Mahon tribunal is due to open its public inquiry today into the Quarryvale affair.
The tribunal announced before Easter that it would begin its public session on Quarryvale today and would continue to sit in public until two weeks before the election. Mr Ahern, his former partner Celia Larkin, and those known to have given him money in 1993/1994 were listed as witnesses at the tribunal.
In an interview in yesterday's Sunday Tribune, the Taoiseach indicated his unhappiness with the tribunal's plans. "All I can say is that the precedent since the foundation of the State has been that tribunals haven't sat during an election. I am not going to comment on something that I'm personally involved in. I'm just quoting what is the precedent," he said.
There will be keen political interest in whether the tribunal proceeds as planned with an opening statement today or if it decides to cancel its plans in the light of the election.
Both the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, and the Labour leader, Pat Rabbitte, said yesterday it was a matter for the tribunal to decide whether or not to proceed.
Mr Kenny welcomed the calling of the election, saying it marked an end to the era of broken promises by the Fianna Fáil/PD Government.
"It's time for a government that keeps its word and delivers the public services that people need and deserve. That's why I'm offering the "Contract for a Better Ireland". That's why I'm putting my own neck on the line to show how serious I am about delivering it," he said.
Labour leader, Pat Rabbitte, said he also welcomed the Taoiseach's decision to call the election, but he described the manner of its calling as "pretty unprecedented in peace time".
He said Labour would be campaigning on the five commitments for change he had set out. They involved more beds in clean hospitals, pre-school education for all children, more gardaí on the beat, the abolition of the means test for carers and measures to enable more people to begin to buy a home.
The Progressive Democrats was the first party to launch its full manifesto. The Tánaiste and party leader, Michael McDowell, said the PDs would deliver on seven pledges. They were to lower taxes, help families, make stamp duty fairer, reward pensioners, provide better healthcare, be tough on crime and protect the environment.
"The prosperity that dramatically changed our nation was unleashed by the policies of low taxes, competition and investment in innovation and enterprise that the PDs championed in Government.
"Today many parties claim to advocate a low-tax agenda but only the PDs have delivered consistently. Why would a future government without the PDs deliver on tax reform when past governments without the PDs never did?"
The Green Party leader, Trevor Sargent, welcomed the calling of the election but maintained that by having it on a Thursday, the Taoiseach was deliberately excluding students and young people working away from home from voting.
"The country needs a break from the calamitous Ministers who have mismanaged their way from crisis to crisis, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. Our transport, health and education systems have suffered badly and we are years behind where we should be in terms of renewable energy generation, emissions reductions and environmental protection," he said.
Polling on May 24th will be from 7.30am to 10.30pm. Nominations will close at noon on May 8th.