The Kildare Street rumour mill will be working as hard as one of Mary O'Rourke's election staff from Wednesday onwards when the Dail resumes.

No sooner will the 166 TDs return from knocking on doors across the country than speculation will reach a crescendo as to when Bertie Ahern (ABOVE) will call a halt to the current Dail proceedings and 'go to the country' for the general election.

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?

A number of dates have been suggested for the election but so far the Taoiseach has played his cards close to his chest, his only de"nite comment being that the poll won't take place on a Friday.

"I listened to the argument the last time. And it didn't work.

Friday did not work. I was all over the city on the Friday. What people do now is get out of the city on a Friday afternoon, " he said. Of his decision to hold the 2002 election on a Friday, he said: "It did nothing for the poll. Look at the "gures. I went along with the popular argument and it didn't work."

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

We sit and wait. All we know is that Ahern must hold the election before 4 July, and that it will have to happen between 21 to 30 days after he calls for the dissolution of the Dail. Another factor that may in"uence Ahern's decision is impending events at the Mahon tribunal. Hazel Lawlor, widow of Liam Lawlor, is going to the High Court tomorrow to seek a stay on the tribunal's Quarryvale module. If she succeeds in halting the tribunal, it could aid Ahern as an opening statement from Tom Gilmartin (RIGHT) but would not be read out before polling day.