THE phoney war is over, and the past months of meetings, brainstorming sessions and number crunching will shape the battle for votes in the next three weeks.
The big parties will he blowing their own policy trumpets. The smaller parties will be aiming to raise their profiles, hoping to become the kingmakers in the post elect ion arithmetic.
Albert Reynolds once described Fianna Fail as a "very large, complex organisation which takes a while to get it into gear".
The party has taken that time. According to Pat Farrell, FE general secretary, the party machinery has been overhauled.
"Our campaign really started two years ago. We've had a complete renewal of the party at grass roots level. The number of registered units is up to 3.000, from a level of around 2.000. We've selected our candidates well in advance. And we've been introducing the candidates and getting them known to the public.
More than 120 FF candidates, armed with their new policy statements, have been pressing the flesh and tramping the streets in 41 constituencies.
With nine Fianna Fail TDs retiring with this Dail, the party will be fielding about 30 new candidates and hopes these will appeal to new voters.
The former Government press secretary, P.J. Mara, has been driving the campaign engine for more than a year. A strategy committee chaired by Ray MacSharry includes such key party players as Brian Cowen and Seamus Brennan, and the backroom staff of Mr Mara and Mr Farrell.
The party spent just more than £1 million on its national campaign in 1992 and expects to spend a similar amount this year, according to Mr Farrell.
"We have put our plans into effect well back from the campaign," Mr Farrell said. "That whole process has been generating new ideas." The party's "zero tolerance" stance on crime has been criticised by Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne, but it is popular on the doorsteps.
In Dublin's South Frederick Street at 8.00 every morning the PD campaign team has been meeting. According to Mary Harney's special adviser, former journalist John Murray, the meetings hear daily reports from the constituencies and discuss plans for the campaign.
The PDs plan to fight about 25 constituencies. And like FF they have been hearing the crime worries on doorsteps. "Anywhere you go it's all about safety and security. These are puncturing the feel good factor. There is a notion that we've never had it so good. But then we have greater crime rates and higher frequency of drug taking," Mr Murray said.
The second campaign plank will be tax. And the not so secret weapon is the Harney factor, "because Mary is the most popular politician at the polls".
Her statement on a possible reimposition of water charges caused consternation. But her party handlers believe she has gained kudos as a politician who was not afraid to shoot from the lip.
"There are very few questions being asked about any alliance that we might get into after the election. What people are saying is that they'd love to see Mary in Government," Mr Murray said.
The Green Party has selected 26 candidates, more than half of them first timers. "We've been preparing for a year for this," their candidates' co ordinator, Colm Murray, said.
"We see this very much as a time to flex our muscles. We want to prove there is a Green vote in every is constituency and that this vote more than 3 per cent, the last average in 18 constituencies.
The party knows it is up against stronger players in the publicity game.
Another small party will be looking for some of the antiestablishment vote on the basis of what it has done as part of the establishment. Democratic Left's director of elections, Pat Brady, is conscious of the clash. "It's a delicate route to walk. We're anxious on the one hand to draw attention to our distinct attributes as a party. But we have also been part of what we consider to be a very good government.
"There are a lot of floating voters and whatever about particular things they don't like about the current Government, it's a steady hand on the tiller."
A lot of these voters are in the critical Dublin area. DL will be fielding up to 16 candidates in mainly urban constituencies. The three Government parties will today unveil a common coalition platform in the shape of a programme outlining "21 goals for the 21st century". The individual parties will also have their own manifestos.
In the bigger picture, the parties will be fighting to return as a coalition. However, at local level it may be more difficult to stop candidates taking potshots at their coalition partners.
Says Labour election committee chairman Senator Pat Magner: "If you start chipping at the achievements of the Government, saying we did that and you didn't do that, then the whole thing crumbles."
Labour has been polling in its key constituencies for more than three months and like the other parties crime has been the buzz word.
Fine Gael has also been putting the work in at constituency level. According to party press officer Niall O Muilleoir, the last year has been spent reorganising constituencies, "especially in constituencies where we're weak".
The party reckons it has up to 12 marginal seats and hopes to win 10 extra seats in the election. It has selected more than 80 candidates. A former IFA press officer, Mr O Muilleoir introduced an FG Dublin newsletter a year ago to address what he called the "information deficit" in the city.
The paper, Dublin Matters, is tailored for 11 constituencies with a central theme. The party published its millionth copy before the election was called.
"There was a gap between what TDs, councillors and senators were doing and what the electorate knew they were doing." The "shadow of the national media" tends to be cast outside Dublin, he argued. "We believe Dublin will be the cockpit for the election."
Fine Gael has also been carrying out qualitative research to find out what voters care about. "Crime is a recurring theme on the doorstep and employment is obviously a big issue." Research has shown that voters want to see the economic success maintained.
Like their Government partners, FG canvassers will be stressing the feel good factor, and their party's role in creating it.
"We will be addressing the anxiety about instability in Government by stressing the cohesion of the coalition. There's so little scope for the opposition in terms of what's going wrong," he said.
