Analysis: Fianna Fáil accepts that disillusioned voters will be hard to get into the polling booths, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent
Fianna Fáil's 2004 local election manifesto, unveiled yesterday in Dublin, is smaller and less glossy than its 2002 general election counterpart.
Some of the promises made in 2002 have been recycled, rather appropriately given that the campaign is being led by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen.
However, a few promises made back then have been consigned to the bin. The much lauded 2,000 extra gardaí do not appear, while commitments to clear waiting lists have also been dropped.
Health services, though, will be improved further, education will remain a priority, crime will be tackled, and local services will be delivered efficiently. Despite the declarations by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and others yesterday, there was just a faint scent in the air that some in the Soldiers of Destiny fear they are in for a hiding.
Perhaps acknowledging this, the Taoiseach said: "The elections in 1999 were very good for Fianna Fáil - when we became the first government party in over 30 years to actually gain seats in a local election.
"It's going to be tough to repeat that scale of progress, but we are going all out to do so, including picking up extra seats where we fell just short last time," he declared. The background mood music on offer to the electorate will be that Fianna Fáil has taken the State through the bad times to better days, if not the Promised Land.
"This is not a national election, but we will have no problem in standing up and talking proudly of our record in government. We have not been afraid to take unpopular decisions when they were needed to safeguard the long-term future of this country.
"Because of those decisions, Ireland has come through the worst world recession in twenty years stronger than most countries and as good as the best," Mr Ahern said. Besides claiming effort for guiding the ship through stormy waters, Fianna Fáil is also emphasising a more subtle message.
"Think back to 1999, and remember what it was like then." Local authority spending has doubled to €7.6 billion; reforms have been put in place; long-ignored problems are finally being tackled, the party argues.
Fianna Fáil will trumpet its achievements on housing in the coming weeks, they insist - even though these will come as little cheer to those already priced out of the housing market.
"We are now building 70,000 houses a year in The Republic, with four million people. In the United Kingdom, with 50 million people, they are building 170,000 homes," Mr Ahern insisted.
Social and affordable housing, backed by €1.8 billion a year of Exchequer money, is dealing with the housing needs of 13,000 families a year, Fianna Fáil insisted.
Rather than repeat promises to recruit 2,000 extra gardaí, the party this time put forward a more modest number. "The strength of the force at the start of 2004 was over 12,000, an all-time high. Prioritisation of Garda recruitment and training throughout 2004 will ensure this is maintained and that the maximum authorised strength of the force of 12,200 will be achieved later this year," the manifesto declares.
On waste management, Fianna Fáil points out that one third of all homes are now provided with green bins to recycle household waste while there was none three years ago.
"The plastic bag levy has reduced our dependence on plastic bags by 90 per cent, helped clean up our countryside and beaches and raised new funding for environmental projects," it went on.
Clearly, Fianna Fáil accepts that voters, feeling disillusioned with politicians and politics will be hard to encourage into the polling booths on June 11th.
Urging against complacency, Mr Ahern declared: "The people who say, 'What's the point', are the first people if somebody opens up a cul-de-sac, or somebody switches the traffic, or somebody new wants to build, or, God forbid, somebody wants to put in a halting site nearby, they are the first people on to the local council.
"If you want people there to represent you and do something, then go out and vote," he said.