Ahern gives FF pre-election lift

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern issued a pre-general election rallying call to Fianna Fail tonight in the wake of this week’s humbling abortion referendum defeat.

Launching the party’s annual conference in Dublin, the embattled premier said of the failed nationwide poll - his second in successive years after the earlier rejection by voters of the Nice Treaty for European Union expansion: ‘‘The people have spoken, and the people’s voice is the final word in a democracy.

‘‘Now is the time to continue on with the important work of securing Ireland’s future.’’

The 6,000-delegate conference opened against a backdrop of gloom for Fianna Fail over the failed referendum bid to amend an existing consitutional barrier to abortion.

The Government amendment was thrown out by a majority of less than 1% - or just over 10,550 of the 1.2 million people who took part in the nationwide poll.

Mr Ahern went into the party meeting after hearing a demand from Fine Gael main opposition party leader Michael Noonan to call the general election as soon as it ended.

Mr Noonan said: ‘‘It is now time to get on with it. The present Government is tired and tired Governments make mistakes.’’

Mr Ahern is expected to stick to his plans to go to the country in early May after leading his coalition government for a record long term in the peacetime history of Ireland.

He has made it clear that the referendum defeats will have no impact onhis position - or the timing or outcome of the election.

The Taoiseach's position was backed today by senior cabinet and party colleague Brian Cowen, the Foreign Minister.

He said: ‘‘I do not expect the referendum result to overhang the Ard Fheis.

‘‘I think people saw the referendum proposal as an honest attempt by this Government to fulfill a promise we gave to try and deal with the matter. It’s not an issue.’’

Party general secretary Martin Macken commented: ‘‘I do not think it will put a dampener on things. We are going to see a strong, focused party.

‘‘I think at the end of the day people can de-couple the referendum from issues. And Bertie Ahern is still the most popular political leader in the country.’’

Mr Ahern delivers his keynote address to the conference tomorrow night.

:: Political parties and other organisations involved in the campaign for votes in Wednesday’s abortion referendum have been given until just a week after polling day to remove all posters.

Anyone failing to follow that Department of the Environment Directive will face prosecution, officials stressed tonight. That could lead to fines of more than €1,900.