Greens close to joining next Irish government

DUBLIN, June 12 (Reuters) Ireland's Green Party said today it was close to reaching a deal to enter government for the first time after its leader met Prime Minister Bertie Ahern overnight to revive stalled talks.

''We have to get an agreement today,'' Green Party Chairman John Gormley told RTE radio. ''It would be my hope we will get a programme for government we will be proud of and we will be able to sell to our party members.'' Ahern has been scouting around for new allies after a May 24 general election from which his Fianna Fail party emerged largely unscathed but where his pro-business junior coalition partner, the Progressive Democrats (PDs), suffered big losses.

Ireland's 166-seat Dail (lower house of parliament) will vote on a new prime minister on Thursday.

Ahern, whose Fianna Fail party will have 78 seats versus 80 in the last parliament, could secure a wafer thin majority with backing from two remaining PD lawmakers and a few independents.

Additional support from the Greens, who have 6 seats, would give Ahern more room for manoeuvre. It would also improve his chances of forming a stable government and of serving a third, full, five-year term that he says will be his last.

Green Party members would have to endorse any deal between party leaders at a special convention that will be held tomorrow in the event of an agreement.

The party bowed out of a week of talks last Friday, complaining of ''substantial blockages'' and failure to agree a common environmental platform for any new government.

But the Greens said there was now ''a limited number of remaining points of contention'' after Ahern met with leader Trevor Sargent on Monday night.

Differences in key areas such as climate change, education and political reform had been resolved, the party added.

''In relation to reports that an agreement has been reached, that is not the case,'' Dan Boyle, a member of the Green Party's negotiating team, told reporters on Thursday.

''While we have moved a lot closer, while the number of issues we have had disagreements on have been reduced ... the gaps have got smaller. There are still issues that are fundamental to whether an agreement can be reached or not.'' Party members refused to be drawn on the state of talks over specific policies such as a manifesto pledge that US troops en-route to Iraq should no longer be allowed to use airports in traditionally neutral Ireland.

''We have about 4.7 per cent of the vote and we have to be realistic and realise we can only get a certain amount,'' said Gormley. ''But it has to be sellable to the party members. I think they are wise enough to know if the deal is good enough.'' REUTERS GT RAI2111