Greens Vote on Ahern Coalition

After eight days of intensive negotiations, Ireland's Green party last night announced that it will support a Fianna Fáil coalition government led by Bertie Ahern.

The deal has to be approved today by at least two-thirds of Green delegates who have been summoned to an emergency convention in Dublin.

The party has never been in government. It has six deputies in the 166-seat Dail, Ireland's parliament, while Fianna Fáil has 78 deputies. Green participation would ensure the long-term survival of a coalition in which Mr Ahern also has the backing of the Progressive Democrats, with two deputies, or TDs, as well as several independents.

Trevor Sargent, the leader of the Greens, said after the negotiations last night: "We have a basis for an agreement on a program for government which we are now going to present to our members."

It has taken nearly three weeks for the composition of the next government to be agreed. The Dail is to meet tomorrow for the first time since the May 24 election.

The Green party claimed that it had secured from Mr Ahern specific policy commitments on climate change, education and political reform. Among issues the party sought promises on were a ban on US military personnel using Shannon airport en route to Iraq, and an end to corporate donations to political parties.