Outgoing Tánaiste Ms Mary Harney was today campaigning after shrugging aside opinion poll evidence that Progressive Democrat support could be further eroded in the General Election.
She maintained that new survey methods being used for the first time in the current campaign were not adequately reflecting the measure of support for smaller parties in the contest.
Ms Harney said: "We are optimistic about the constituencies we have targeted and it is not unrealistic that we could double our present number of four seats.
"The election is just one week old - it is all there to play for." The two opinion polls so far published since outgoing Taoiseach Mr Ahern called the May 17th election have indicated backing of just 2 per cent and 3 per cent for Ms Harney's party - as well as the prospect of an overall majority in the Dáil - the Dublin parliament - for Mr Ahern's Fianna Fáil.
PD candidate Mr Michael McDowell, attorney general in the last government, put up posters in his Dublin constituency declaring "One Party Government? - No Thanks."
Ms Harney conceded that if the election were held tomorrow "there probably would be an overall Fianna Fail majority".
But she went on: "I don't believe that is what the people of Ireland want to see. In fact a majority of Fianna Fail supporters don't want it. Partnership government works very well."
In another campaign development, Fine Gael said they would elevate the Sellafield nuclear waste processing plant issue to top place in relations with Britain if they gained office.
Senior frontbencher Ms Nora Owen also criticised Mr Ahern's government for ignoring an offer from British Nuclear Fuels Ltd to permit an inspection of the controversial Cumbrian facility.
She claimed Fianna Fáil had done nothing to bring pressure to curb activities at the nuclear complex.
"Sellafield has expanded over the lifetime of Bertie Ahern's administration,'' she said.
Ms Owen said a strand of the 1998 Belfast Agreement between the British and Irish governments had provided for structured relations, and Fine Gael would take action against Sellafield by "putting the plant at the top of the agenda in relations with Britain".
PA