"Things are as good for the Fianna Fail party as they have ever been," the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, told a lunch meeting of the party's Dun Laoghaire ail Women's Organisation yesterday.
The lunch was organised to pay tribute to the election of Ms Mary Hanafin, the first woman Fianna Fail TD to be elected for the Dun Laoghaire constituency, and to honour 32 years Dail service by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews.
Mr Ahern said he was confident the organisation had addressed the issue of gender balance and he said the local elections "due next year but which will probably be held the year after" would allow the party to select new youthful candidates with new ideas.