Bertie Ahern, Made promises at yesterday's Ard Fheis
The first opinion poll since last Wednesday's abortion referendum shows little change in support for Fianna Fáil, despite the party's backing for the rejected proposal. In an IMS survey for the Sunday Independent, 51% of those questioned supported Fianna Fáil, with 21% opting for Fine Gael. Ten per cent said they would vote for the Labour Party. The Progressive Democrats and Sinn Féin are at 5% each, with the Greens and others both at 4%.
Last night at Fianna Fáil's Ard Fheis in Dublin, Bertie Ahern promised more Gardai if his party return to power, together with increased health spending, better pensions and low taxes. The Taoiseach attacked the record of the Opposition parties and said that if they won the next election they would return to the policies of "bust and borrowing". On the North, the Taoiseach has urged what he called former revolutionary parties to become strictly democratic, with no military wings.
