Opening salvos fired in election campaign
Voters were tonight steeling themselves for the bitterest general election yet, as party leaders began to trade blows on the first official day of campaigning.
Despite Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's claim that Fianna Fáil would not be drawn into negative campaigning, his party clashed with Labour over the peace process and was also accused of a record of failure by Opposition parties.
Few opponents or pundits were surprised that Mr Ahern opted for a May 24 polling day.
However the Taoiseach did catch some people off guard by going to Áras an Uachtaráin today to ask President Mary McAleese to dissolve the Dáil.
As his bid for a third successive term in office got under way, Mr Ahern said the electorate faced a clear choice between the current coalition and an alternative offered by Fine Gael and Labour.
"Our ambitions for our nation are bold," he said.
"If the people return us to Government, we will seek to end poverty in Ireland in our next term, while continuing to reduce substantially the net national debt. We will work for a lasting peace and for unity. We will continue to invest in our people and infrastructure at an unprecedented rate.
"And we will never make choices which endanger the hard won prosperity that is the result of the work and endeavour of the Irish people."
With opinion polls suggesting the race for power could be tight, Mr Ahern vowed not to be drawn into negative campaigning.
"In the weeks ahead I pledge to give the Irish people the campaign they deserve: a campaign of issues and policies, not insults and attacks," he vowed.
"I am more interested in attacking problems than attacking people."
Opposition leader Enda Kenny of Fine Gael, who flew to Dublin from Knock once it was clear the election was being declared, said voters had the chance to end an era of failed promises from the Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrat coalition.
Urging voters to back what he called the Alliance of Change offered by his party and Labour, the Mayo TD declared: "Today marks the beginning of the end of ten years of Fianna Fáil/PD broken promises and complacency.
"The people of Ireland know that this Government won't do in 15 years what they haven't done in the last 10."
The Progressive Democrats were the first party out of the traps in erecting election posters and also launching a manifesto which contained seven key pledges.
Tánaiste Michael McDowell and his party vowed to abolish stamp duty for first-time house buyers, ensure patients were admitted to accident and emergency services within six hours and increase the number of Gardaí from 14,000 to 16,000.
The stamp duty plan met a cool response from Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald, who said she did not believe voters would be duped by such promises.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte also accused the Progressive Democrats of promoting selfishness and ridiculed Mr McDowell's refusal to contemplate Fine Gael and Labour as partners in a rainbow coalition.
"I have said before that I have never in my life turned up to a wedding to which I wasn't invited," quipped Mr Rabbitte.
"I am really puzzled about Michael McDowell ruling himself out. Nobody invited him. And nobody will invite him."
Mr Rabbitte came under fire from Fianna Fáil's Dermot Ahern after he backed his colleague Ruairí Quinn's warning to the Taoiseach not to use the peace process for electoral gain by addressing peers and MPs at Westminster in the House of Commons and Lords during the campaign.
Mr Ahern countered: "I am surprised at Pat Rabbitte. I am particularly surprised he would agree with the remark from Ruairí Quinn in relation to this.
"It was not the Taoiseach who chose May 8 (for the resumption of devolution in the North). It was the parties in the North who chose May 8.
"Do you think for one minute Ian Paisley would be doing anything to help Bertie Ahern in the local election in the Republic? Equally so, in relation to the proposed address by the Taoiseach to the joint Houses in the UK?"
As the Greens launched their campaign, director of elections John Gormley claimed the party faced an unprecedented chance to go into government.
"It's time to solve the problem of class sizes. It's time for well-planned communities with proper services. It's time that we tackle the biggest challenge facing humanity: climate change," he argued.
"But none of this will happen with Fianna Fáil and the PDs in power. It's time for a change of Government."
