Greens happy to leave tribunal ‘do its job’

FIANNA FÁIL said that the Green Party was content to leave questions over Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s personal finances for the planning tribunal to answer.

Green leader Trevor Sargent had been the most vociferous of the opposition leaders on the matter during the election campaign, insisting that Mr Ahern clarify disparities that arose.

But asked last night if the Greens had sought any reassurances on the matter during the government negotiations, Communications Minister Noel Dempsey replied: “No, they said there’s a tribunal set up and they’re quite satisfied to let them do the job that they are paid to do.”

Mr Dempsey was speaking outside Government Buildings upon conclusion of the deal shortly before 9pm.

He was joined by Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan. The only member of Fianna Fáil’s three-man negotiating team who was absent from the press conference was Finance Minister Brian Cowen.

Neither Mr Dempsey nor Mr Brennan would discuss the detail of the programme for government, the former saying: “I think we owe the courtesy to our parliamentary parties to allow them to look at the document first.”

The Fianna Fáil parliamentary party will meet at 3pm this afternoon to discuss the 90-page document.

But Mr Brennan said he was satisfied it was “a very solid, comprehensive policy document covering virtually all areas” and “a programme the new government will be happy to implement”.

Asked if there was anything in the programme which the Green Party leadership might have trouble selling to their members at tonight’s special conference, Mr Brennan replied: “Well, they have their own procedures but all we know is that as six negotiators we’ve shaken hands on this programme, and the six of us are fully satisfied to recommend it to our parties.”

Mr Dempsey said the issue of cabinet portfolios had “never” been discussed during the negotiations, saying that was a matter for the respective party leaders — Mr Ahern and Trevor Sargent.

“The negotiators purely had to come to a conclusion on policies. [The portfolios will be decided] at leader level — always and ever at leader level.”

Mr Ahern and Mr Sargent were due to meet last night to approve the document and finalise the deal. The document was also due to be distributed last night to the PDs and the four Independents whom Fianna Fáil have invited to join the coalition, Mr Brennan indicated. Mr Ahern and PD leader Ms Harney are likely to talk today to finalise the conditions under which the PDs will enter the coalition.

The Greens were believed to be opposed to the hospital co-location plan which Ms Harney had initiated while Health Minister. Mr Dempsey refused to say whether the co-location plan was “in or out” of the programme for government.

Said Mr Brennan: “There’ll be areas that both parties have not concluded agreement on, and they wouldn’t be contained in the document. There are some areas that both parties may wish to have had included. They remain the policies of individual parties, but are not part of the programme for government.”