Fine Gael has raised the prospect of a Fine Gael/Labour coalition after the next general election without the need for the involvement of the Green Party, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent, in Kilkenny.
Setting out a target of 30 extra Dáil seats, the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, was asked if this meant that the Greens would not be required.
"The mathematics of that are very clear, absolutely. We are setting out our target (of 30 seats), and we are going to go after them," said Mr Kenny in Kilkenny Castle yesterday.
Replying to the same question, before the start of Fine Gael's two-day parliamentary party meeting, the party's director of organisation, Carlow/Kilkenny TD Mr Phil Hogan, said: "That's true."
Clearly unplanned, Mr Kenny and Mr Hogan's public remarks will be interpreted as a sign of FG's growing confidence following good local and European Parliament results.
However, the comments are certain to annoy the Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, and key figures within Labour, who have already begun to be irritated by FG's greater post-elections optimism.
In particular, Fine Gael's 30-seat target fails to take account of the fact that the Labour Party holds some of these seats such as in Kildare and Cork.
The parliamentary party meeting opened with the formal acceptance of the membership of Wexford TD Dr Liam Twomey, who quit the Independent benches this week.
Somewhat taken aback by the focus on his remark about the Greens, Mr Kenny sought to back-track, emphasising that he "was not saying, obviously" that the Greens would not be part of a rainbow alliance.
"I have said on a number of occasions that Fine Gael, Labour and like-minded parties would obviously work towards setting out an alternative political platform."
He said the Greens had not been included in the FG/Labour pact on Westmeath County Council - the so-called "Mullingar Accord" - because the Greens do not have a seat on the local authority.
"The common denominator that we have with the Green Party is that Trevor Sargent has clearly said that he would have nothing to do with FF in government. On that basis I will be very happy to talk to Trevor Sargent, with mutual understanding and respect about our differences in the same way that FG did with Democratic Left in the 1990s
"Every party has its own individual set of policies and set of positions. I would respect that, and enter into mutual understandings that could lead to compromise and change that you could set out as a programme for government before the people."
The Fine Gael's leader remarks are evidence that Fine Gael would want the Greens to make major policy concessions in negotiations on a possible programme for government.
During his speech to the opening session of the meeting, Mr Kenny repeatedly mentioned the Labour Party, but never once mentioned the Greens.
Questioned about the prospect of FG making gains at Labour's expense, Mr Kenny said: "It is difficult to predict the voting patterns that are going to emerge in the next general election.
"We are not targeting any individual seat, or any individual party's seats. What we want is to gain ourselves, but, obviously, if Fine Gael is to form a government with the Labour Party, both parties must win seats."