THE leaders of the three Government parties will discuss the general election date and a joint campaign platform tomorrow as the pre election verbal battles intensify further.
The party leaders will have discussions on the election timing before tomorrow morning's Cabinet meeting. The Labour Party leader Mr Spring yesterday suggested that the election could yet be postponed until the autumn, but speculation now centres firmly on four dates: May 15th, 22nd, 29th and June 5th.
Tomorrow, Mr Bruton, Mr Spring and Mr De Rossa are also likely to discuss progress made by their respective parties in devising a common statement of policy principles to be put before the electorate. The three parties will run separate campaigns but hope to maximise inter party transfers by putting forward a common platform as well.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fail has emphasised that it will be contesting the election as a separate party, rejecting what it says are attempts by the Government parties to portray it as part of a "centre right bloc" with the Progressive Democrats.
"Each party should be prepared to put its own political philosophies, principles and policies before the people," the party's environment spokesman, Mr Noel Dempsey, said yesterday. In a statement issued with the approval of the party leadership, he said: "The people will decide what party or combination of parties should be in government".
The Progressive Democrats' leader, Ms Mary Harney, has rejected suggestions that her stance on water charges would cause problems in the event of at tempts to form a coalition government with Fianna Fail after the election. "Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats have distinctive policies," she said. "That's why we are separate parties."
She repeated her view that the water charges issue should be "revisited" by the next government. "We've got to have a system of charges where everybody pays on the basis of consumption," she said at the launch of her party's poster campaign in Dublin yesterday. "The metering option appears to be the fairest way.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, said yesterday that metering would be too expensive, as it would cost £200 million to install meters in households throughout the State. The PDs say, however, that this cost would eventually be paid for through the collection of water charges.
The PDs and Mr Howlin yesterday continued to dispute the cost of the Government's water charges package, with Mr Michael McDowell of the PDs saying it would cost close to £1 billion. A spokesman for the Minister said it would cost considerably less, but could not give an exact figure as it depended on the level of take up of capital grants. Figures given by the spokesman suggest a cost of £700 million to £800 million.
Ms Harney again challenged the Labour leader and Tanaiste, Mr Spring, to a television debate, saying the real choice in the election was between junior government partners - either her party or Labour and Democratic Left. Labour has already indicated that it will not agree to such a confrontation. "I don't know what he is afraid of," Ms Harney said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Left leader and Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, called on Ms Harney to state "what other commitment made by this administration would be revisited if the Progressive Democrats are returned to power". He said the decision to abolish water charges was taken three months ago, yet only now has Ms Harney "stumbled into expressing her opposition".
The Minister for Trade and Tourism, Mr Kenny, has questioned whether a Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats government would have a coherent Northern Ireland policy. "Who would decide on that government's Northern Ireland policy," he asked. "Would it be Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach? Or Mary Harney as Tanaiste? We know they differ radically on a number of issues. Would it be Ray Burke, spokesman on foreign affairs, whose dislike of the Progressive Democrats is well known? Or would it be Albert Reynolds, the former Taoiseach who dismissed Ray Burke on coming to office?"
Mr Reynolds had been promised "some mysterious position as roving ambassador", he went on. "The public have a right to know who would speak for the country in a Government that might include Fianna Fail."