The Opposition parties would threaten the country's hard won economic prosperity if they got elected to government next year, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern declared yesterday, as the campaign for the next general election began in earnest.
Speaking in Westport at the beginning of a two-day meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, Mr Ahern launched one of his fiercest attacks yet on Fine Gael and Labour.
The "fundamental truth of the coming election is that prosperity itself will be on the ballot next year in Ireland", he said.
"The people will decide who to trust with the future of our economy. And we must make sure that the people understand that we cannot take our future for granted, for Ireland to continue to grow and prosper, for it to move forward for peace and unity.
"Empty words are no substitute for proven experience; politics is no substitute for real plans; promises are no substitute for performance," the Taoiseach told his party's TDs and Senators attending the meeting.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour's Pat Rabbitte had produced no policies and no spending commitments and yet they were "acting as if they somehow have a right to be in government", he said.
"Slogans without substance do not get you into government. Promises without plans do not win elections. Uncosted programmes are not a budget. Making promises may get you applause but it will not get you into power," he declared.
Mr Ahern said that Fianna Fáil TDs were "extraordinarily united" and were ready with "credible and costed plans", unlike "the collection of bluff and bluster" available from the Opposition.
He rejected fears, which are shared by many Fianna Fáil TDs, that the party will suffer from the Progressive Democrats' command of two key ministries, health and justice.
"I head a Government that is a collective Government. Everybody works together. The one thing that I do not allow is people thinking that they have personal fiefdoms. These are Government policies, collectively agreed," he said.
The first day of the Fianna Fáil meeting coincided with yesterday's release of the latest quarterly Exchequer figures, which showed that tax returns this year are running €1.5 billion above budget day predictions last December. However, the majority of the extra monies is not coming from income tax payers, but from those paying stamp duties on houses - €575 million above target - and businesses, who paid €300 million more than expected.
The Government's spending is running €700 million behind target. Delays encountered by the Department of Health and Children in repaying illegally charged nursing home payments are largely responsible.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen repeatedly emphasised that the extra revenue means that the last budget's €3 billion borrowing prediction could be cut significantly - rather than using the unpredicted revenues for spending.
The Minister ruled out budget day cuts in fuel taxes and excise duties, insisting that EU finance ministers have agreed not to act on their own for fear of "distorting the market". Pressured by higher international energy prices, the Government has decided to set a higher target than expected for renewable energies, which it now wants to fill 30 per cent of the State's energy needs by 2020. Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey said that "no simple solution, and no single solution" existed to guarantee supplies.
"We are at, or near peak oil [ supplies]. That is generally agreed now, when it might not have been agreed three or four years ago. We are a small market with a very high demand, with little inter-connection, with a huge investment catch-up in common with elsewhere," he said.
