Fine Gael has repeated its claims that the party can gain as many as 28 seats in next year's General Election.
Speaking at the closing news conference at the party's special parliamentary meeting, director of elections Frank Flannery said the claim was based on extrapolations from a series of recent opinion polls.
He said they showed Fianna Fáil standing at around 34%, with Fine Gael trending upwards from 28 points and Labour standing between 24% and 26%.
Even at the lower end of that scale, he predicted the alternative coalition would be within striking distance of an overall majority.
Mr Flannery said there could be a comfortable majority for the two parties in government, but he stressed that these predictions were based on the situation now.
He did not take into account the Fianna Fáil fightback over the next nine months.
The TDs and Senators also heard economic presentations from IDA boss Sean Dorgan and economist Jim Power.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte made a surprise appearance at a party dinner last night.
