A number of political parties will lay out their stalls for the electorate this week in advance of the scheduled resumption of the Dail on September 29th. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael will each hold special two-day conferences of their parliamentary parties, while the Labour Party plans a seminar on housing. At the same time, the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fail will continue negotiations on a revision of their programme for government in the context of a new national pay agreement, a six-year national plan and the December Budget.
At this stage, it would seem the political parties at Leinster House are settling in for the long haul. The uncertainty and political instability generated earlier this year by the work of the Flood and Moriarty tribunals and the failure of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, fully to inform the Dail and his partners in Government on a number of issues has largely dissipated. Fine Gael and the Labour Party are engaged in medium-term policy formation, with a view to the next general election, while Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats emphasise the determination of the Coalition Government to last its full term.
The Fine Gael spokesman on finance, Mr Michael Noonan, will announce details of his party's new tax policy today as a curtain-raiser to its deliberations in Clonmel on Wednesday and Thursday. Concessions on child care along with tax measures designed to encourage women and the long-term unemployed to enter and remain in the labour market represent the main thrust of party policy. But Fine Gael has sought to broadened its appeal beyond the targeted audience of the last general election by proposing to exempt middle income earners from the 2 per cent health levy. This switch in emphasis is likely to be reflected by reports on economic, social and strategic issues later in the week when the party leader, Mr John Bruton, addresses members of the parliamentary party.
The Labour Party is focusing its attention on the housing crisis. The party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, will open a seminar on the booming property market in Dublin tomorrow and issues of affordable and public housing are likely to figure strongly in the Dublin South Central by-election when the party moves the writ in the Dail next week. Members of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party will gather in Galway on Thursday and Friday to discuss the social and economic challenges facing the party and the Coalition Government in the new millennium, with specific reference to social inclusion. The Taoiseach will deal with strategic political matters in an address to members of his parliamentary party and he is expected to outline the opportunities and difficulties involved in securing a new social partnership agreement.
In the aftermath of the June local elections, in which Fianna Fail performed particularly well, a great deal of pressure was released from the political system. The appointment of Mr Michael McDowell as Attorney General brought about an improved relationship between the Coalition parties and they agreed to negotiate on a range of medium-term matters. At the same time, space opened up between Fine Gael and the Labour Party on economic and social issues. Now that the Dail's summer recess is drawing to a close, the various parties are sharpening their images and preparing for a resumption of hostilities. With the tribunals back in action, there is no certainty that the existing political equilibrium will last.