Greens insist poll will not be delayed beyond February

ELECTION COUNTDOWN:THE GREEN Party is insisting a general election will not be delayed beyond February, having announced earlier this week that it wanted the poll to take place in the second half of January.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday told the Dáil he hoped all necessary legislation arising from the budgetary announcements, including the Finance Bill, would be completed by February.

During yesterday’s post-Cabinet briefing, the spokesman for the Greens in government said: “I think it’s reasonable to say that a week or a fortnight here or there isn’t going to upset things.”

When asked what the party’s reaction would be if that period was extended to three months, the spokesman said: “That could be problematic.”

The spokesman also said the party saw the Dáil coming back earlier than scheduled after Christmas to advance the process. Discussions would take place between the Coalition partners about these issues, he added.

Earlier in the Dáil, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore pointed out last year’s Finance Bill was not completed until close to the end of March.

He said it would not be in the country’s interest that the budgetary process be prolonged until that time this year.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had suggested a “slimmed down” version of the Finance Bill containing the “key ingredients” of the budget could be passed to “have it out of the way before Christmas”.

Mr Kenny had also asked Mr Cowen to bring the budget forward to next week.

He said he was making the request “in the interests of being constructive and of certainty, stability and confidence”.

The Dáil should sit from Monday to Friday to facilitate the process, he added.

Mr Cowen ruled out Mr Kenny’s suggestion about bringing the budget forward.

In response to Mr Gilmore’s query, relating to the timescale for the completed enactment of all the legislation needed arising from budgetary announcements, he said: “I would expect that we should have everything completed in the month of February. That would be my hope.”

The Finance Bill is always a complex piece of legislation and this year’s version is expected to be “weightier than usual”, according to a Government source.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey yesterday said an election would take part “in the early part” of 2011.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed at the post-Cabinet briefing that Mr Cowen and Mr Gormley met late on Monday afternoon for about half an hour.

They met again ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. Relations between the two party leaders were described as “businesslike and professional” at yesterday’s briefing.

On Monday evening, Mr Cowen announced the Dáil would be dissolved and an election called once the budgetary process was completed in the new year.