Fine Gael holds pre-Dáil meeting

The Fine Gael parliamentary party  is finishing its pre-Dáil meeting in Galway today and is expected to issue a series of recommendations…

The Fine Gael parliamentary party  is finishing its pre-Dáil meeting in Galway today and is expected to issue a series of recommendations shortly.

Party members  spent this morning "trying to get a better picture" of the way ahead for Ireland's economy, a spokeswoman said.

This included a presentation from Dr Alan Aherne of the Department of Economics at  National University of Ireland, Galway.

Members  also discussed the party's position and drew up conclusions and recommendations from the meeting, she said.

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Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, declared last night that the party must change the way it develops and communicates policies if it is to become the largest party in the Dáil after the next general election.

He said even though the party had won 20 extra Dáil seats it "should not be blind to what needs to be done now".

"We are only halfway there," he said.

He acknowledged that Fine Gael had done well in having a contract with the Labour Party, but also conceded that was unlikely at the next election following the selection of Eamon Gilmore as  Labour's   new leader.

"The next election, whenever it comes, will revolve around one issue - do the people want a Fianna Fáil- or a Fine Gael-led government? It seems certain that all other parties will adopt an independent stance going into the election."