Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has pledged to produce a series of policy documents in the next few months, following repeated criticisms from Fianna Fáil that the party has not given details of what it proposes to do if elected to government.
In particular, he pledged yesterday that he would shortly produce a policy on childcare which did not discriminate against parents who remained at home to look after their children.
Asked yesterday when his party or the proposed alternative government would produce any policies, he said: "You are already seeing it. We have published an agreed document on social partnership. We have rolled out policies on health, on whole school reports [a proposal for the publication of detailed statistics concerning each school] and on agriculture.
"In the next few months you will see a stream of Fine Gael individual documents coming out."
Mr Kenny said the next general election would be fought on the issues of health, crime and the cost of living. He had also asked his party to bring forward specific new initiatives in the area of alternative energy and childcare.
Fine Gael's www.ripoff.ie and anti-social behaviour campaigns had been well received and showed that when the party put forward practical, positive solutions it got a response."
Mr Kenny said the Government's approach to childcare had been driven by the economy "and the sole objective of getting women back into the workforce. Fine Gael's approach will be based on what is best for children. We are finalising a policy which does not discriminate against parents who remain at home to look after their children."
He said he had devoted much of his time as leader so far on restructuring the party. Now they were beginning to choose general election candidates. They were also getting down to production of policies and "getting with the business" of leading the next government with the Labour Party.
"The people are tired of this Government," he said. "They are tired of their inability to deliver first-class services with the public's money. Obviously we intend to change that. It is a combination of creeping fatigue and the rise in popularity of both Labour and Fine Gael," he said.
"Things have gone very well in this country in a number of areas. Unfortunately this Government has lost its way."
Asked about Michael McDowell's remarks that a Fine Gael-Labour government would increases taxes and preside over an economic slump, he said: "The Irish people are not stupid. It's a bit rich him talking about broken promises. Ask him where the 2000 extra gardaí are."
Mr Kenny said Fine Gael was targeting PD seats in particular. "The PDs are now a seamless part of this Government. They are locked into the same failure rate as Fianna Fáil, and our intention is to remove them from government," he said.
He would not say whether the Groceries Order should be abolished but said: "New legislation is required that would protect the consumer and remove predatory pricing."