TODAY'S discussion of the general election date between the leaders of the three Government parties is not expected to reach a final decision on the matter, according to sources in the parties.
At their weekly pre Cabinet meeting, Mr Bruton, Mr Spring and Mr De Rossa will have their "most structured and focused" discussion yet of the date and election strategy, according to one source. A common election platform containing a list of aims for the next government will also be discussed, according to the source.
Government programme managers met yesterday to discuss policy matters in the context of the forthcoming election. Polling day is widely expected to be between mid May and early June.
Most of the political parties will hold party conferences in the next three weeks which will be used to give momentum to their campaigns. Labour's biennial conference takes place in Limerick next weekend, with Fine Gael organising a function for the following Thursday to mark the 75th anniversary of its foundation.
The Fianna Fail Ardfheis takes place the weekend after next, while Democratic Left will hold its annual conference the following weekend.
Meanwhile, Government and opposition backbenchers have continued to trade political charges over the water rates issue. The Fine Gael Minister of State Mr Gay Mitchell challenged the PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, to say whether she would demand the reintroduction of water charges as a condition for going into government with Fianna Fail.
"Instead of trying to fudge their differences on water charges Mary Harney and Bertie Ahern should start answering the real concerns of the electorate over their incompatibility" he said.
The Democratic Left chairwoman, Ms Catherine Murphy, said that "the alternative FF-PD government is quickly disintegrating as Fianna Fail deputies seek cover from the fall out of Deputy Harney's pronouncements on water charges".
The choice facing the electorate later this year, she said, would no longer be a simple choice between the current centre left coalition and the right wing option represented by Fianna Fail and the PDs. "Rather the choice that is emerging is between the stability of this government and the chaos of an administration where every edition of Morning Ireland could herald disaster," Ms Murphy said.