Coalition partners defend Govt's performance

Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats have published a document defending the Government's performance over the past 12 months.

It also denies opposition claims that they have broken most of their pre-election promises.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, said the Government had increased investment in health, education and infrastructure since being re-elected last May.

Mr Ahern denied that Fianna Fáil had conned the electorate last year and claimed the Irish Government had handled the economy well, despite spiralling inflation and the erosion of business competitiveness.

He also claimed that the current crisis in the health sector was caused by overspending in the last two years, despite the widely held view that the crisis was caused by massive cutbacks in the 1980s that have still not been rectified by the Government.

Fine Gael, which has been vocal in criticising the Government's performance over the past 12 months, reacted with ridicule to the Fianna Fail-Progressive Democrats defence of their policies.

Party leader Enda Kenny said the very fact that the coalition partners had to publish such a defence was unprecedented.

Mr Kenny said: "Crime, health, education, agriculture, transport, the economy in general: all of these have run into difficulties in the past 12 months and despite government promises and commitments, many of these have been broken over that period.

"The hypocrisy of this Government has been exposed like no other."