The opposition parties have begun the process of regrouping in the 29th Dáil as the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, prepares to appoint the remaining Ministers of State in his Coalition Government, next week. The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, announced the composition of his new front bench yesterday.
The Parliamentary Labour Party embarked on a rigorous assessment of its disappointing performance in the general election. And the Green Party, Sinn Féin and Independent TDs sought changes in Dáil standing orders that would reflect their greatly increased level of representation in parliament.
The comprehensive victory of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, on a platform of past performance and continuing prosperity, reflects the difficulties the opposition parties face in the short term. There is no denying the feel-good factor that now exists. While the Government's finances, in terms of spending and income, may be temporarily out-of-kilter, the economy remains strong. With reasonable fiscal management, there is every prospect that living standards will continue to rise.
That is the environment confronting Fine Gael as the main opposition party. Mr Kenny appeared to relish the challenge when he presented members of his front bench to the press. The loss of many of its most experienced front-line figures in the general election, when the party forfeited 23 seats, guaranteed radical change. But Mr Kenny sought to end party divisions by appointing the other three contenders for the leadership to prominent positions. His determination to create a younger image for Fine Gael led to new TDs, Mr John Deasy and Ms Olwyn Enright, being given high-profile jobs. On policy matters, he announced the party would participate in the Forum for Europe, in support of the Nice referendum. And he gave a broad hint that, because of the fraught state of Fine Gael's finances, the ban on corporate donations was likely to be lifted.
The Parliamentary Labour Party considered its failure to attract floating and protest voters in the election and, next week, it will address the issues of election strategy and tactics. That analysis will underpin its efforts to act as a focus for left-of-centre parties in the new Dail and influence its approach to local government elections in 2004. At the same time, the Green Party, Sinn Féin and Independent TDs failed to secure an undertaking from the Government to change the standing orders which confine their participation in Dail debates and at Question Time. Those rules only recognise political parties with seven or more seats, or a single technical group. The Green Party, with six seats, and Sinn Féin with five, are demanding that their mandates be accepted, as are thirteen of the fifteen Independent TDs. Given the decision by the electorate, the Coalition Government should respond to the new situation that exists on the opposition benches.