Harney wants post-Easter date for by-elections

The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, has said the Meath and Kildare by-elections should be held on the same date, preferably after Easter.

Ms Harney was responding to reports this morning that the Government parties plan to block Fine Gael's proposal to hold the Meath by-election before St Patrick's Day.

The Tánaiste said it was clearly preferable for political parties and in terms of cost to have both polls on the same day.

Ms Harney said a post-Easter date for the polls was also preferable given the likely absence of many politicians in and around St Patrick's Day. She said the end of March or the beginning of May was the most likely time.

Ms Harney dismissed Oppositions allegations that the Government was afraid to face the electorate, saying that the end of March was only a matter of weeks away. "My own preference would be to have them on the same day," she said.

Government sources say the Coalition will use its majority to block the writ, which will be moved in the Dáil tomorrow by Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny.

However, Labour Party leader Mr Pat Rabbitte said this afternoon his party would move the writ for the North Kildare by-election tomorrow if the Government fails to do so.

At a press conference to open Labour's by-election campaigns, Mr Rabbitte said that if the writs were voted down, the party would propose to Fine Gael and the other Opposition parties that they should agree a "comprehensive approach to non-co-operation in the House until the Government agrees to hold these by-elections".

The Meath seat was made vacant in November when former taoiseach Mr John Bruton became the EU's special envoy to the United States.

The seat in North Kildare became vacant when former minister for finance Mr Charlie McCreevy became the new EU Commissioner for internal markets and services last Autumn.

Fine Gael's move follows claims by the Taoiseach Mr Ahern that a post-Easter poll on the same day was preferable because of the Dáil debate on the Finance and Social Welfare Bills.

But Mr Kenny has dismissed the Taoiseach's remarks as "absolute nonsense", insisting the Government had a duty to call the Meath poll between March 8th and 16th.