The following joint policies for government were outlined at yesterday's press conference in Dublin by the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, and the PD leader, Ms Mary Harney.
Hepatitis C
IT IS not clear whether Fianna Fail's and the Progressive Democrats' pre-election promise to publish all the documents relating to how the legal strategy in the McCole case was decided will be fulfilled.
A hint of conditionality appeared to enter Mr Ahern's comments on the matter yesterday. "We will look at what we can publish as quickly as we can," he said in response to a question.
The matter is not mentioned in the programme for government, but Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats both made the commitment as they criticised the Government for its insensitive handling of the case. In particular, they spent several months demanding unsuccessfully to be told how, why and by whom the decision was made effectively to threaten Mrs McCole, then dying from the results of hepatitis C.
The State's legal strategy involved making a lodgement in court in advance of the case. This meant that if Mrs McCole had won less than that amount in damages, she would have been liable to the costs of the entire case.
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats said they would make public the documentation surrounding the decision to take this course of action. Mr Ahern's statement suggests a doubt over whether they will in fact do so.
Abortion
ABORTION is not mentioned in the programme for government, - and in recent months Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats have proposed different solutions to the situation created by the X case and the subsequent referendums.
Mr Ahern is on record as saying he would ultimately like to see a referendum on legislation to regularise the situation following the Supreme Court judgment in the X case.
Ms Harney, however, says the last thing the State needs is another referendum on abortion, and it is the duty of the legislature to take action on the issue.
Spokespersons for both parties said yesterday the new government would prepare a Green Paper on the issue, setting out the options on how to deal with the situation. This Green Paper will then be considered by the all-party committee on the Constitution. There will then be a period of consultation with different groups and interests before any decision.
Sources in both parties concede that this will effectively postpone consideration of the hard decisions needed for a considerable period.
Education
THE incoming government plans to give primary education priority in the allocation of resources in education. It proposes a specific budget for pre-school education.
Both Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats vowed in opposition not to proceed with the Government's plan to establish regional education boards. There is no specific mention of this in the programme, although it does state that: "Fianna Fail - and the Progressive Democrats in Government will focus on people's needs and parental choice rather than on bureaucratic or administrative structures."
Spokespeople for each party said both were committed to abandoning the proposal for regional education boards. They were proposed in the Education Bill, which did not pass through the Oireachtas. The incoming government is likely to revive the Bill, but remove the proposal for the new boards.
The education priorities listed include the provision of a specific budget for pre-school education; an examination of the points system for university selection; and the establishment of a National Psychological Service to address learning difficulties.
The document promises "to give primary education a clear priority in allocating resources". This would include providing more resources and remedial teachers for those with special learning difficulties, giving a second teacher to one-teacher schools with 10 pupils or more and renewing sub-standard accommodation. It also states as an aim "to achieve computer literacy throughout the schools system".
Parents' role "as the first teachers of their children" is to be recognised through ensuring their involvement at all levels of school management. The Government will introduce the Parents as First Teachers Programme. "Under PAFT, first-time parents from deprived areas are visited by a trained educator/health visitor from the pre-natal stage until the child is three years of age," the document says.
Office of Tanaiste
THE office of the Tanaiste will be abolished, both parties confirmed, but the post will remain. The office was introduced in 1992, when Mr Spring became Tanaiste. It was given access to all papers received by the Taoiseach including memoranda from all Government departments.
In addition it initiated a number of reforms, including the freedom of information and ethics legislation, the establishment of the National Economic and Social Forum and the recent report on violence against women.
It had a staff of a programme manager, advisers and civil servants to analyse Government documents and to advise Mr Spring on them and on other issues.
The Government supported the idea on the grounds that it added to the cohesion of the Government, ensuring the smaller partner felt fully aware of and involved in all Government activity. Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats criticised it as a wasteful piece of empire-building by Mr Spring.
Mr Ahern was keen to emphasise that the abolition of the office would not leave the next Tanaiste more in the dark about government business than Mr Spring was. While the office has been abolished, he said, "whoever is Tanaiste will of course get all the briefing documents".
Ms Harney said the Tanaiste's role is defined in the Constitution and has not changed.
Both parties say that a mechanism will be established to replace the Tanaiste's office which will ensure the next Tanaiste is fully briefed on what is happening in all government departments.
It is not clear either what will happen to another Labour-inspired innovation in 1992 - the system of programme managers and outside political advisers. Fianna Fail and the PDs have criticised these appointments regularly, but appear set to make their own appointments.