`It's a question of when now," said a PD to an Opposition deputy in Leinster House on Wednesday. The Government had just won a vote by a relatively comfortable - in its minority circumstances - four votes, but it had lost a deputy, Beverly Cooper-Flynn and the PDs' Des O'Malley had made a powerful speech saying standards in public life would be a main issue in the next election. There was a general feeling that we're on our way; that the PDs have laid down a marker and that one more revelation, most likely from the tribunals, of shady finances, could do it.
Fine Gael is in bouyant mood as the party faithful gathers in Dublin for their ardfheis this weekend, and both they and new Labour feel that in a campaign fought on integrity they would have to gain. While neither party is ready, in that FG is still languishing in the polls and Labour has yet to bed down the merger and organise the constituencies, they see support and respect slipping from Fianna Fail and are anxious to capitalise. But the biggest shift has come in PD thinking. The disclosures of the past few weeks mean the junior partner feels that to maintain its standing there is only so much it can accept and it now has an issue - integrity in politics - on which to go to the country. While neither the PDs nor FF want to see this Government end - both parties are proud of the achievements and want to do more - the PDs believe they can benefit. They could be damaged in the June locals and Euros, so some elements feel it should be sooner rather than later. But a week is a long time in politics and others believe this Government can still go the distance.