Fine Gael said today it has ramped up its candidate selection process in anticipation of a general election being called before Christmas.
The party’s director of elections Phil Hogan said there was increasing political instability surrounding the Government.
“As we have seen this week, Brian Cowen’s Government is on its last legs and is limping from crisis to crisis,” the party’s environment spokesman said.
He said his party, which was now on an “election footing”, had the people and policies to lead Ireland “out of a Fianna Fail-created mess”.