FF reaction: Fianna Fáil will return to government following the next election, despite the party's defeat in both byelections, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey has predicted.
However, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen acknowledged that "problems of progress", including lack of transport infrastructure, schools and community facilities, highlighted in the byelections, would have to be addressed by the Government before the next election in two years' time.
Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, Mr Dempsey, who was director of elections in Meath, said he believed the party could win, but discounted a possible election pact with the Progressive Democrats. "Anything is a possibility at this stage. But I have to say Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats, the Government parties, have not had pacts in relation to byelections."
Speaking in Naas on Saturday evening, Mr Cowen, who was director of elections for Fianna Fáil in Kildare North, said the party would be taking on board the issues raised during the election. "What we've got to do as a party is listen to what's been said and I think there are problems of progress here," he said.
"There's been a huge increase in the population here [in Kildare] since 2002 of about 20,000 people.
"That's brought serious service pressures in education and health and elsewhere and we've got to see in what way we can address those."