Government "Like An Asylum" - Gormley

Green Party leader John Gormley has compared being in government with living in an asylum.

He made the comments during a Dail debate last week on the €85bn IMF/EU bailout, after Fine Gael and Labour claimed that the deal would be a "straitjacket" for any future government.

Mr Gormley, whose party went into Government for the first time by forming a coalition with Fianna Fail in 2007, told them it was a very apt analogy.

"When you are entering government you are entering an asylum, believe you me," said

Mr Gormley, directing his comments at Labour leader Eamon Gilmore.

"You will have to endure the no-win situation. You will have to endure the non-stop criticism.

"And you will be sitting here and you will no-doubt be looking up at the Sinn Fein deputies who will be criticising you non-stop, and you will be saying 'I have no choice. I have to act this way'.

"And there is nothing worse in a democracy when you as a politician have to say those words. Where you say 'I have to act in this way because my choices are limited' and that is the reality.

Mr Gormley said he wished Mr Gilmore well, but warned him being in power, would "eat you up inside".

The Greens have indicated they want to see an election held early in the New Year after the legislation enacting the Budget is passed through the Dail.

Both of the main opposition parties published their alternative budgets last Friday.

While they had many areas of common ground, the two plans put forward by Fine Gael and Labour show that achieving a consensus on economic policy will not be easy for the likely future government parties.

The two parties disagreed on income tax levels, political reforms, property taxes and welfare cuts.

Fine Gael said it would radically reform the public sector and limit tax increases to half of those proposed by the current government over the next four years.

Labour said it would not stick to the government's planned adjustment of €6bn next year, and would instead propose a change of €4.5bn.

The party also wants to set up a new third rate of tax of 48% for higher earners - a measure Fine Gael opposes.

The publication of the two plans brought into sharp focus the differences between the parties.

But they also highlighted that the battle-lines are now being drawn for the upcoming election, and that both parties will be competing vigorously for votes, rather than producing a joint platform.

The latest opinion poll (Red C/Irish Sun) shows that a coalition of Fine Gael and Labour remains the likely outcome of any election, although it also confirmed a swing to the left in the Irish politics.

Depending on the numbers, that could make a Labour/Sinn Fein/Independents government an outside possibility.

The poll numbers confirmed Fianna Fail's worst fears, with the party facing a virtual wipe-out.

They have just 13% support, down three points on the last polls two weeks ago, its lowest ever, and embarrassingly putting it in fourth place behind Sinn Fein.

Fine Gael is on 32%, Labour 24% and Sinn Fein 16%.

Sinn Fein has enjoyed a five point bounce thanks to their by-election victory in Donegal and the announcement that Gerry Adams is to contest for a Dail seat.

Meanwhile, the poll once again underlined how unpopular Taoiseach Brian Cowen is - he has a satisfaction rating of just 8%.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore remains the most popular choice for Taoiseach on 41%, with Fine Gael's Enda Kenny on 25%.