The Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, has said Fianna Fáil is up for the challenge to come in the forthcoming General Election.
Speaking at the end of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting in Westport, Mr Cowen said he welcomed the publication of policy proposals by Fine Gael and Labour and said it would be up to the voters to choose.
In his closing statement, Mr Cowen also predicted that half a million new jobs can be generated over the next decade through investment in research and development.
He said he would be supporting investment in this sector in the new National Development Plan and in December's Budget.
The issue of health, which is likely to be a central issue in the General Election, dominated the agenda at the second day of the Fianna Fáil meeting.
TDs and Senators discussed the subject in depth after hearing from senior Health Service Executive management consultant Maureen Lynott, as well as participating in a debate on policy suggestions formulated over the summer.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has been detailing the challenges he sees as most important for him and Fianna Fáil in the coming years.
Prosperity not only priority: Ahern
Speaking to RTÉ News, Mr Ahern said he was not worried by opinion polls that showed a slump in support for the Government and was confident of leading Fianna Fáil into a third term.
The Taoiseach said he was concerned about the quality of people's lives and not just about prosperity.
He said building a metro, easing traffic gridlock, building more affordable housing and increasing places at third level education were all in the sights of the Fianna Fáil programme.
Mr Ahern said it was important that the wealth Ireland had should match its infrastructure and services.
