Pre-election skirmishing has reached a new level of intensity as the political parties seek advantage on a range of issues from the enforcement of water quality and fisheries laws, to compensation for nursing home inmates, the development of public transport in Dublin and options for government formation.
In the process, serious Government failures have been identified but, in their anxiety to secure votes through negative campaigning, Fine Gael and the Labour Party have raised doubts about their capacity to run a responsible, alternative government.
It is early days yet. But performances by the Government and Opposition parties during the coming months will set the tone for the general election campaign. Voters will be paying close attention not only to the eight-year record of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats in office, but to the performance, credibility and coherence in opposition of those that would supplant them.
Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern appears to have tacitly accepted that the present Coalition is unlikely to be re-elected, even with the support of Independent TDs. He has repeatedly raised the prospect of forming a coalition with the Labour Party, even though Pat Rabbitte and his party conference specifically rejected such an alliance. In doing so, Mr Ahern has attempted to divert attention from the embarrassing prospect of a post-election arrangement involving Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. Such overtures have little impact on day-to-day business at Leinster House. But as the election draws closer and voters remain undecided about a new coalition arrangement, the parties appear to becoming increasingly desperate.
Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats are again at loggerheads over the privatisation of some Dublin Bus routes. Fianna Fáil backbenchers led the charge against the Government's fisheries Bill and, in doing so, encouraged Fine Gael and the Labour Party to take the easy option.
Fine Gael was also wrong-footed on the Government's failure to control water pollution from agricultural sources. And Enda Kenny found himself on the wrong side of the nursing home compensation issue when he criticised the Tánaiste for entering a full State defence against having to pay exemplary damages. The Government's abject failure to make early restitution to vulnerable pensioners for money wrongfully deducted should have been sufficiently damning. But in supporting legal actions that might cost the State some extra billions of euro, Mr Kenny ceded his advantage. Fine Gael and the Labour Party are said to be devising joint policies for the future. A more coherent vision would be useful.