Six key issues . . . health, the economy, crime, immigration, transport and quality of life . . . will be focusing the minds of those who hope to govern the country for the next "ve years, so who is ahead on each one?

THE ECONOMY What's the issue?

It's the economy, stupid. The underlying economic trends remain favourable.

Last week's announcement of 700 new jobs in Navan is just another indicator that the boom continues. Recent interest rate increases will have caused some concern but consumer spending and lending levels are pushing along at high rates. Experts continue to warn about an over-reliance on construction and problems filling job vacancies. There will also be some nasty surprises in this winter's heating bills, thanks to the cost of oil and the subsequent hikes in gas and electricity prices. Overall, however, we've still 'never had it so good'.

Where does Bertie Ahern's government stand?

With most people reasonably happy about the economy, Ahern and his colleagues will want to steer the conversation to their record over the last decade. They will focus on the economic winter that was the 1980s and the dismal fiscal indicators when Fine Gael and Labour shared power. The current coalition has governed in good times. Its problem will be if the public decide it has not met expectations. There may be some discomfort for Fianna Fail when the PDs push for more tax reductions.

Where does Enda Kenny's alternative stand?

Neither Enda Kenny nor his coalition partner Pat Rabbitte has ever held a senior economic ministry. They will have to counter any public uncertainty about this lack of experience. Expect to see plenty of Fine Gael's Richard Bruton, whose grasp of economic matters can match that of anyone in Leinster House.

The opposition has previously focused on cost overruns and 'waste' in the state sector. It may be difficult to sustain those issues into 2007. There's been little to separate the government and the alternative on fundamental economic policies. The two parties will have to iron out the gaps in their tax and spend policies. Otherwise Fianna Fail will exploit the inconsistencies and damage the credibility of Fine Gael/Labour.

Who has the advantage?

The importance of economic issues for voters declined in the boom years. In a Lansdowne exit poll at the 1997 general election, 40% of voters identified unemployment as their top concern.

Taxation was the main concern for another 30%. Five years later, in a similar poll, only 6% chose unemployment with a similar number concerned about taxation. So while Ahern may have the edge as the incumbent in boom times, the economy may be devalued as an electoral asset at a time of growth.

There's another story to be written about Ahern's contribution to the boom and whether enough has been done with the wealth. If the voters are showing any discontent, Kenny's crew may have a real opportunity. It may be the economy but perhaps not as we've known it. KR

HEALTH

What's the issue?

Health is probably the number one issue in politics at the moment. Brian Cowen dubbed the Department of Health 'Angola' and certainly the government has been taking a lot of hits from exploding landmines in the area.

Actor Brendan Gleeson's emotional outburst on The Late Late Show about the state of accident & emergency earlier this year struck a chord with many voters and the government can expect more of the same over the coming months. It has spent billions of euro to try and address the problem but . . . despite success in neutralising 'waiting lists' as a major political issue . . . the public perception is that nothing has really improved.

Where does Bertie Ahern's government stand?

Up to its neck in you know what. Mary Harney went into the department of health two years ago on a mission to overhaul the system and bring about serious improvements. However, she has found the going seriously tough and, to date, has failed to bring about discernible improvements, at least in the public's perception.

Harney has found that the problems in the health service are easy to identify, but the solutions are a lot harder to come by, as evidenced by the current stand-off between the Health Services Executive (HSE) and hospital consultants over a new contract.

PR-wise, the move has been disastrous for Harney, despite admiration for her decision to take on such a difficult job.

Where does Enda Kenny's alternative stand?

We will know better on Tuesday when Fine Gael and Labour plan to give details of a joint health policy in Mullingar. But the reality is that, when it comes to health, it really doesn't matter what the position of Fine Gael, Labour or the Greens is . . . this is all about the government and what it is or is not doing.

Who has the advantage?

The opposition, clearly. Health is a big stick that all the opposition parties and independents will use to beat the government. The government believes the key to cracking health is to improve A&E . . . it is the sight of old people on trolleys waiting for hours to get a hospital bed that provokes more public anger than anything else . . . but so far it has failed to do that and with an election just nine months away, time is running out. The establishment of the HSE was clearly the right move and there is a lot of respect for its chief executive, Brendan Drumm. But there is a concern, within Fianna Fail in particular, that the HSE's focus is on longterm improvements in the health service which, though obviously desirable, will not benefit a government facing a general election in the short term.

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CRIME

What's the issue?

At the general elections in 1997 and 2002, Lansdowne Market Research asked voters as they emerged from the polling booths to identify the issues that influenced how they marked their ballot paper. The research showed that crime was to the forefront of voters' minds. In both polls, one in three voters identified crime as the main issue which determined their voting choice. It was the only issue to maintain its importance in both elections.

There is little to suggest the situation will be any different next year.

Where does Bertie Ahern's government stand?

Michael McDowell, and John O'Donoghue before him, have pushed through a huge volume of legislative changes in the justice area. There are more gardai in the force, if not on the streets, and the new reserve force is recruiting. A new prison is also planned in north county Dublin.

But there's a real sense that the main factor in the crime problem . . . illegal drugs . . . has not been tackled by this government. The number of heroin addicts in the state has not declined.

Cocaine is more prevalent. A new generation of drug lords ply their trade.

The spate of gangland killings and the ongoing success of a criminal underworld is part of the 10-year record of the Fianna Fail/PD government.

Where does Enda Kenny's alternative stand?

Fine Gael has prioritised crime as one of the issues on which the government's record is vulnerable. "I'll make the criminals pay for their crimes, " Enda Kenny pledged in a recent billboard advertising campaign. He has claimed that crime rates are "soaring."

Kenny's party has taken a far harder line on crime than its prospective coalition partners. It is unclear if Labour will accept tough measures such as electronic tagging. But given the pragmatic nature of all the main parties, the probability is that the two opposition parties will converge on a policy not dissimilar to that being pursued by the current government - promises of more money, more gardai and more prison spaces.

Who has the advantage?

The government will need a big performance from Michael McDowell over the coming months. The justice minister will have to convince the public that progress has been made during 10 years of coalition, five of which he has spent in the Department of Justice.

McDowell talks tough on crime. For Fine Gael to talk tougher may be a problem for Labour. In the end, the voters may just be scared into believing that crime is a bigger problem than it actually is, and they may end up not believing that either side has a plan to defeat the drug barons.

IMMIGRATION

What's the issue?

Ireland now has the highest rate of immigration per capita in the world.

There has been a sharp drop in the number of asylum-seekers coming here, which was once a highly contentious issue; the debate is now more about the number of workers immigrating from new EU states. Focus groups conducted by all the parties reveal some unease among a segment of voters about the impact of the arrival of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers.

Where does Bertie Ahern's government stand?

Two years ago the government led the way in the EU by opening up access to workers from the 10 new EU states, issuing over 250,000 PPS numbers to citizens of those countries. However, while these workers were unquestionably needed to fill gaps in the labour market, the government is sensitive to concerns that this might lead to displacement of Irish workers (though there is no real evidence of this).

In recent weeks, the government has signalled a get-tough approach, indicating that its new immigration bill would make it compulsory for non-EU nationals to carry ID cards . . . a highly controversial move. It also seems clear that workers from Romania and Bulgaria will not be granted immediate rights to come and work here when the two countries join the EU in January.

Where does Enda Kenny's alternative stand?

In the old days, this would have been one area where Fine Gael and Labour might have had difficulty agreeing a common platform, but the two parties now seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet.

It was Labour leader Pat Rabbitte who, more than anybody, raised the issue of displacement with his comments at the turn of the year. He told the recent Parnell summer school that job displacement may be inevitable, noting the growth of "Polish pubs and Chinese eateries." Although Rabbitte's original comments did create some unease in his own party, they would not trouble Fine Gael, which has welcomed the government's immigration proposals.

Who has the advantage?

Neither side. Take it that it didn't go unnoticed in Fianna Fail that Labour's poll rating rose after Rabbitte made his remarks about displacement. And it is clear from the tougher line coming from the government that Fianna Fail and the PDs are determined to make sure they are not outflanked on the issue by Fine Gael or Labour. The perception that they are taking a strong line should be enough to neutralise any discontent among voters. Whether or not the positions being taken by the government and opposition parties is in the national interest is moot . . . the country will continue to need workers from overseas - but in a general election year, such considerations are very much secondary.