Fine Gael is confident of winning 30 extra seats in next year's election and almost doubling its strength in the Dáil, the party chairman, Tom Hayes, said last night in advance of a two-day meeting of the parliamentary party that begins in Sligo today.
The party meeting to prepare for the coming Dáil session will be addressed by a number of guest speakers including IDA chief Seán Dorgan, economist Jim Power and the crime journalist Paul Williams.
"This will be the last such meeting of the party before next year's general election. I can say with some certainty that the party has rarely been in a better or more optimistic mood than we are as we head for Sligo this week," said Mr Hayes.
"The continued growth in support for the party and Enda Kenny, as evidenced by successive polls over the last 18 months, encourages us to believe that we will have a very successful election whenever it is called. Two years ago in Kilkenny we targeted 30 extra seats gains for the party and that ambitious target is clearly within our reach now."
Mr Hayes said the meeting would focus on issues involving the economy, public sector reform, crime and general election preparations.
The Fine Gael TDs, Senators and MEPs would also be discussing the country's future energy needs with speakers from the public and private sector.
The first session this afternoon will involve a discussion on crime and justice. Among the speakers will be well-known journalist Paul Williams and barrister Paul Anthony McDermott.
It will be followed by a session on Ireland's future energy needs with ESB chief executive Pádraig McManus and chief executive of Bioverda, (a new division within National Toll Roads), John Mullins contributing to the debate.
On Thursday morning the parliamentary party will focus on general election preparations, followed by a session on the future prospects for the economy and the key issue of public sector reform. External speakers for this part of the programme include IDA chief Seán Dorgan, who also chairs an Institute of Public Administration advisory group on public sector reform.
Jim Power, chief economist with Friends First, will make a presentation on Ireland's future economic prospects.
"With nine months or less to go before the next election, Fine Gael is well placed to form the next government with our colleagues in the Labour Party. This meeting in Sligo represents a key staging post in the build up to what will be a very competitive and very successful election for Fine Gael," said Mr Hayes.
Members of the parliamentary party will be welcomed by local Fine Gael TD John Perry and the party's candidates in the Sligo/North Leitrim constituency, Cllr Imelda Henry and Michael Comiskey.