The opposition believes Fianna Fail is manipulating several positive peace process events to stress Ahern's experience over Enda Kenny.

On 8 May, Ahern will attend the restoration of the Northern assembly. Three days later he will meet Ian Paisley at the Battle of the Boyne site. On 15 May, he will address a sitting of the House of Commons and House of Lords.

"For 20 years my party has been engaged in the Irish peace process. For more than 10 years it has been my main preoccupation, " the Taoiseach said yesterday.

But Labour's Ruairi Quinn said Fianna Fail risked "turning these events into a big circus".

He told the Sunday Tribune that "national events were being hijacked for electoral purposes." He said the Westminster address should be deferred and that Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte should join Ahern and Gerry Adams at Stormont on 8 May.

The opposition leaders have not been invited.

A government spokesman said this was a matter for the north's politicians.

With Ahern set to confirm a 24 May election date, Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell last night warned that Sinn Fein would benefit most from these events. "There will be no dividend for Fianna Fail, only Sinn Fein will gain, " Mitchell said.

Following a week of poor opinion poll results, Fianna Fail remains nervous about tomorrow's resumption of the Mahon tribunal.

In an interview with the Sunday Tribune, the Taoiseach criticised the tribunal for allowing developer Tom Gilmartin to give his controversial evidence during part of the campaign.

"All I can say is that the precedent since the foundation of the state has been that tribunals haven't sat during an election, " Ahern said.

During this module Ahern will be questioned about an allegation that a developer gave him 80,000. "Anything that comes up I'll deal with. I have nothing whatsoever to worry about, " Ahern said.

The Fianna Fail leader said allegations that he travelled to Manchester with a briefcase full of cash were part of a campaign to damage his reputation.

"I never brought money to Manchester. It's just not true."

He said he could not recall the former garda driver who is reportedly the source for the allegations.

He also indicated that Fianna Fail's property proposals would not include stamp duty cuts.

"Obviously what we did on rates [previously] was clawed back massively quick. That's why we're not going down that road again."

When will the 29th Dail be dissolved?

Today? Could be. Intense speculation suggests the Taoiseach will call to the Aras early this morning, before President McAleese departs on her official US visit, to request the Dail's dissolution. Advantage: Ahern would prefer the President, rather than a presidential commission in her absence, to dissolve the Dail. Disadvantage: The President's flight leaves Dublin Airport just after 9am, requiring an unappealing pre-8am visit for Ahern.

Monday? Nope. Least likely of the three days . . . no President and the Dail isn't sitting.

Tuesday? Yes. . . if Ahern wants to announce the election in Leinster House.

Advantage: Dail is sitting and it's the first day of summer, when the Taoiseach said he'd call the election.

Disadvantage: The President is out of the country.

Shane Coleman