The Progressive Democrats are to campaign aggressively against the idea of a Fianna Fáil majority government this week, warning that their Coalition partner cannot be trusted to govern in the national interest on its own, writes Mark Brennock, Political Correspondent.
The party has begun a major campaign in its target constituencies, putting up posters warning: "Single Party Government? No Thanks."
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Fianna Fáil are continuing vigorously to play down any prospect of achieving an overall majority.
Mr Ahern downplayed his ambitions in this regard yesterday. "I have said all the way through that I'll be very happy after the election if it ends up as it was - Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats with the support of some like-minded Independents," he maintained yesterday, during another day of frenetic campaigning.
As the election campaign enters its second full week, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, warned yesterday that if it won a majority, Fianna Fáil would build a €1 billion sports campus at Abbotstown and could confuse "the party interest and the national interest".
Concerned about its electoral prospects and worried that Fianna Fáil could perform so well that the PDs would not be needed, Ms Harney told The Irish Times yesterday that she doubted if the tribunals or the various inquiries under company law undertaken by her Department would have taken place if there had been a majority Fianna Fáil government. "A single-party government might not have started those," she said.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, dismissed the idea that the Progressive Democrats could act as a "watchdog" on Fianna Fáil.
"If Cúchulainn's dog was there guarding the gates, making sure Fianna Fáil did not get up to mischief, they would still get up to mischief," he said.
Fine Gael and Labour plan to highlight issues of health, housing and childcare this week.
The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairí Quinn, yesterday said that he would not campaign on the basis of warning against a majority Fianna Fáil government. "I'm not particularly exercised by this because it's not going to happen," he said.
"We will be campaigning on healthcare, childcare and housing. This coming week is when people will focus on those issues." He again ruled out a pre-election pact with Fine Gael.
Ms Harney yesterday insisted that she was not trying to raise the issue of "sleaze" in relation to Fianna Fáil.
"I don't see ourselves as moral watchdogs but as economic watchdogs. I'm not so sure that with a majority government, the focus would remain on keeping taxes low and on further deregulation and competition," she said.