The impasse over two political parties arranging their annual conferences for the same weekend next year - vital occasions for both as most believe 2001 is an election year - has been amicably resolved. Fianna Fail and Labour both booked ardfheiseanna for April 6th, 7th and 8th, in plenty of time for a May/June election; FF at the RDS, Dublin, and Labour at City Hall, Cork. Since one can presume there is no cross membership both could go ahead as planned, but politicians need media and the media, particularly RTE and more especially its audience, have difficulty with two conferences at the same time.
Balance requires the State broadcaster to cover each party and that means live coverage of the leaders' speeches. Two hours of Bertie Ahern and Ruairi Quinn on a Saturday night, it is strangely believed, would mean a massive switch-off from RTE and advertisers, surprisingly, wouldn't like it. The print media also would have problems: space, manpower - and boredom. Labour says it was the first to book the April weekend with RTE. When FF came along, it was also written in and it was only a couple of months ago that the double booking was noticed. Both have argued vigorously that they shouldn't have to change and FF makes the point that finding another date in the diaries of the Taoiseach and ministers is not at all easy, let alone a new venue for 5,000-plus delegates. The two general secretaries, FF's Martin Macken and Labour's Mike Allen, have been in conclave and a resolution, whereby the smaller party, Labour, will change to a date in May to avoid being swamped by FF, was agreed to the mutual advantage of both.
Fine Gael, meanwhile will hold its ardfheis, a two-yearly event, in the RDS on March 2nd and 3rd.