TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen and the Green Party leader John Gormley will hold discussions today on the major details of the new programme for government.
However, while background documents have been discussed by Fianna Fáil and the Greens, the exchange of major documents is now not expected to take place until Thursday or Friday.
“There has been a decision on both sides that nothing major will happen until the Lisbon Treaty campaign concludes,” said a Government source. “All the concentration and focus will be on that until the broadcasting moratorium begins on Thursday. It is only then that we can get down to meaningful discussion.”
The meeting today between the two party leaders is the third in recent weeks and precedes what both parties say will be intense negotiations.
However, the expectation in both parties is that the process will be concluded quickly, principally because there is already strong agreement that the smart economy framework should be the cornerstone of the policy to tackle the economic crisis.
This view was supported by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan who yesterday said that two weeks was sufficient for negotiating a deal.
“A lot of the issues won’t be contentious, I would imagine. Both parties will agree the wisdom in some of the changes. That’s the timeline we are setting ourselves and I’m looking forward to getting down to negotiations,” he said.
He contended that the time was opportune for change. “I do think we need change. I think this Government is in a completely different situation to where it started two and a half years ago. The economy is very different. We need to restore confidence in the country.”
He said that the new programme needed to be more radical, and there would be huge emphasis on the smart and green economy.
He agreed that would include State agencies being regeared to aggressively pursue investment in Ireland in nascent clean industries such as electric and hydrogen-cell cars.
He confirmed that the Green Party will seek protection of investment in education. “It’s a long-term investment for the future. It doesn’t mean there won’t be changes.”
Mr Ryan expressed confidence that party members would respond positively to the agreement that would be presented to them, saying that the process surrounding the Nama legislation had resulted in very useful changes.
“It’s a good process of going back to members, a useful check in terms of what you are doing. It strengthens the party and gives a better outcome,” he said.
The party will hold at least one special meeting in October to vote on Nama and on the new programme for Government.