Ireland to go to the polls

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has called a parliamentary election for May 24. Opinion polls show that Ahern's Fianna Fail party faces a close battle to stay in government with the rival Fine Gael gaining momentum.

Each of the major parties have coalition partners. For Fianna Fail this is the pro-business Progressive Democrats while Fine Gael has teamed up with the left-leaning Labour Party to try and displace Ahern.

The prize is control of one of Europe's wealthiest nations with Ireland's economy having flourished during Ahern's decade in power.

But Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny expressed confidence his party would win. He said: "We've been waiting for five years for this. I am really looking forward to this campaign."

Kenny claims that Fianna Fail is a party that is tired and short of fresh ideas.

But Ahern said: "This election is about the country's future and protecting the progress we've made over the last decade and building on it,"

One card still up Ahern's sleeve is Northern Ireland where he and Tony Blair played a key role in ending 30 years of sectarian violence and brokering a power sharing administration that will begin governing on May 8.

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