FINE GAEL and the Conservative Party in Britain are to forge a stronger relationship following the first meeting between the two party leaders in London yesterday.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told The Irish Timesthat the 45-minute meeting at Mr Cameron's office in the House of Commons had been "open and enthusiastic" and had shown common ground on key issues including taxation and the North.
"We both face many of the same challenges in being opposition parties to a government which has been in power for a long time."
Mr Kenny said the party would be sending some of his policy advisers and frontbench members to Britain to meet with their counterparts within the Conservative Party and to observe how they formulate policy.
The environment was one such area of interest and and it was also proposed that local government council leaders should travel to meet Conservative leaders in the Greater London area.
He said they would move towards a relationship with the Conservatives which would be "stronger than for years".
The two parties have had a relationship through the centre-right European Peoples Party bloc in the European Parliament for 15 years, but the Conservative Party is to leave that alliance next year.
Mr Kenny said they also discussed progress towards devolution in the North and the "interaction" between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Conservative Party.
Mr Cameron is set to address the annual conference of the Ulster Unionist Party next week following the recent electoral pact between the parties to field joint candidates in European and general elections.
On the question of Europe, Mr Cameron reiterated his public position that if he becomes prime minister he will hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty if it has not ratified by then.
Mr Kenny said they found common ground on many areas of the economy including public spending, public-sector reform and taxation. Both sides agreed that tax increases would hinder economic recovery.
Later Mr Kenny visited the Cricklewood Irish Centre which operates a day centre and residential unit for Irish emigrants with social and alcohol problems.
The centre opened a new purpose-built building nine months ago after a £3.5 million fund-raising initiative.
Praising the work of the centre, which benefits 600 people a year, Mr Kenny said much of the funding had come from Irish builders in Britain.