Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore has challenged the Taoiseach to support a Labour Party move to have the writ for the South Dublin bye-election moved this week.
Mr Gilmore said if Brian Cowen is confident in his Government's performance, he should have no hesitation in calling all three outstanding bye-elections.
Expressing his concern that this week's leadership convulsions in Fine Gael may have taken away from what he says are more important issues facing the country, such as unemployment and the loss of billions of tax payers’ money into Anglo Irish Bank, Mr Gilmore said today that it was time to shift the focus back to the Government.
He challenged Mr Cowen to give the go-ahead to three outstanding bye-elections, saying if he is so confident in the job his Government is doing and confident about declarations the economy has turned a corner, then Mr Cowen should have no hesitation in backing the race to hold the South Dublin bye-election, which Labour will move in the Dáil next week.
For Eamon Gilmore's part, he is spending today touring a number of Dublin constituencies saying he wants to remind voters they will have their say when elections come along.
Responding to Mr Gilmore's challenge, Fianna Fáil has said this evening that significant legislation is going through the Dáil, including the EU stabilisation fund and and new headshop laws.
A party spokesman said they will not allow this important agenda get distracted, adding it was not the right time for the country.
