FINE GAEL and Labour are to run more than 140 candidates in the next general election and both parties have contingency plans in the event of an unexpected dissolution of the Dáil.
Despite the widespread belief that a general election is not likely in the immediate future, the main Opposition parties say that their preparations are already under way.
Fine Gael ran 91 candidates in the 2007 general election and will be running 98 next time. The party has 52 TDs and 15 Senators and virtually all of these will be running for the 31st Dáil.
Three election preparation committees were established after last summer’s local and European elections: policy, headed by Simon Coveney TD; communications, led by Senator Frances Fitzgerald and candidate selection under Seán Barrett TD.
The first selection convention was held in Kildare South last November and Cllr Martin Hayden was chosen to run in the constituency.
Conventions are also due in Dublin Mid-West and Dublin Central with several others planned before the summer.
Should an election be declared at any stage, a plan is in place to hold all selection conventions within 48 hours and poster designs with accompanying messages or slogans have also been prepared.
The party’s election manifesto has been prepared and is subject to updating and review every four to six weeks.
Depending on the length of the campaign, plans and itineraries have been made for 21-day and 28-day campaign tours by party leader Enda Kenny.
No final figure is available for the Labour candidates, but the party intends to contest all 43 constituencies as in 2007, when there was a total of 50 Labour candidates. “Eamon Gilmore has made it clear that if we are to tap into the potential Labour Party support that the opinion polls show, that we will have to run second candidates in many constituencies, especially those where we already have a Labour seat,” said a party spokesman.
“We have contingency plans for a headquarters and poster printing should an unexpected election happen. Candidate selection is under way,” he added.
Candidates have been selected in three constituencies – Limerick (James Heffernan) and Dublin North Central (Aodhan O’Riordan). The Kerry North convention will be held in the next few weeks with Arthur Spring, nephew of former party leader and tánaiste Dick Spring the only candidate.
“We would expect that most candidates will be selected and be in place by the end of this year,” the spokesman said.
Both parties are contesting the Donegal South-West byelection following the departure of Fianna Fáil TD Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament.
No date has been set for the poll, which is expected to take place either before the summer or in early autumn.
Donegal publican Cllr Frank McBrearty jnr – whose family were victims of Garda harassment which was investigated by the Morris tribunal — was chosen last Friday as Labour’s candidate.
The Fine Gael convention is to take place on February 15th and Senator Pearse Doherty has been chosen as the Sinn Féin candidate.