Ahern ‘would prefer’ renewing FF-PD coalition

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday rejected any suggestion that by saying Fianna Fáil would be willing to consider Labour as a possible coalition option, he lacked confidence the current coalition would be returned to power.

He yesterday said he had made it very clear in a weekend interview that his strongly preferred option was for the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition to be returned.

His spokesperson last night said the point he made in the interview was that Labour leader Pat Rabbitte was the only one ruling out an arrangement as an option after the next election.

However, Mr Ahern’s weekend comments were seized upon by Fine Gael’s enterprise spokesman Phil Hogan who claimed the Taoiseach was finally facing up the realities he faces going into the next election.

“With less than 18 months to the next general election, it is remarkable, and telling, that the Taoiseach has effectively thrown in the towel on returning to office with the PDs.

“By desperately trying to undermine the democratically expressed view of the Labour Party membership to form an electoral pact with Fine Gael, he is de facto accepting he has no chance of returning to office with his PD sidekicks.”

He was speaking at his party’s convention for the Dublin Mid West constituency, which will increase from three to four seats in the 2007 election.

Fine Gael has no representation in this constituency at present. The sitting TDs are the Tánaiste Mary Harney; Fianna Fáil’s John Curran and Paul Gogarty of the Green Party.

Only one candidate was selected last night. The best known of the four nominees is Frances Fitzgerald, the former TD for Dublin South East who lost her seat in the rout of 2002. The others are Cllr Therese Ridge, businessman Francis Fitzpatrick and Paul Callan.