Tough tests ahead for Govt

Although riding high in weekend opinion polls, the Government will come crashing back to earth with a series of tough tests when the Dáil resumes after its five-week Christmas break on Wednesday.

After the Northern Bank fiasco, a clearly-deflated Bertie Ahern will have to pick up the pieces in the Northern Ireland power-sharing talks despite almost universal opinion that the IRA carried out December’s record heist.

With Sinn Féin continuing to deny prior knowledge of the crime, there will be tough talking when Mr Ahern meets Gerry Adams on Tuesday and attempts to plot a route forward.

Revenue chairman Dermot Quigley is due this week to submit his report into the awarding of lucrative PR contracts by embattled Minister for Transport Martin Cullen to friend and political supporter, Monica Leech.

Any criticism of Mr Cullen will be a point of early controversy for the Government and inflame the opposition benches.

Possible impact on the Waterford TD’s future in the Cabinet is a certainty.

Mr Cullen and the Cabinet will also have to decide on the future of Aer Lingus which will be rudderless when the top three executives leave their jobs on Friday.

Government parties will also be hit with two by-elections in Meath and Kildare North – likely to be held in March.

As no serving Government party has won a by-election since 1982, a double-defeat including the loss of former Minister for Finance Charlie McCreevy’s seat will rattle the administration.

The Judge Brian Curtin affair just won’t go away and Government attempts to impeach him could be thwarted by his High Court bid on March 1 to stop an Oireachtas committee seizing his computer.

Acquitted of possessing child porn charges last year, Curtin claims the committee’s attempts to probe his misbehaviour is unlawful and unconstitutional.

As well as potential hiccups facing the Government parties, the Cabinet will be hoping to push through an extensive legislative programme during 2005.

The constitutionality of the Health (Amendment) (No 2) Bill will be tested in the Supreme Court tomorrow and on Tuesday.

Any negative decision could further embarrass the Government which had sought to retrospectively legalise the overcharging of elderly patients for nursing home care for nearly 20 years.

The Criminal Justice Bill is due before the Dáil again and could include controversial UK-style electronic tagging for offenders as an alternative to custodial sentences and to cut prison overcrowding.

Officials are drafting amendments on the issue – and it is expected to be framed before Easter at the latest.

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche is likely to come under pressure to change the proposed route of the M3 motorway in Co Meath – expected to be the leading campaign issue in the forthcoming by-election.

Campaigners have warned that archaeological and historical sites in the Tara-Skryne valley will be destroyed and have threatened ten years of legal battles.

Under an amendment to the National Monuments Act, Mr Roche has the power to order the preservation of sites in such public projects.

Mr Roche is also expected to revise the Government’s Critical Infrastructure Bill and bring it back before the Cabinet.

Designed to fast-track planning for major infrastructure projects like motorways, the legislation came under attack over its inclusion of incinerators.

Sluggish and expensive tribunals will be slimmed down and made work harder with the forthcoming Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004.

Further amendments are also expected to the Road Traffic Bill, including proposals to introduce random breath-testing by gardaí - a key plank in the Government’s own Road Safety Strategy 2004-2006.