Economic growth, jobs and political reforms were under the spotlight during today’s general election campaign.
Today, the 18th day of the election campaign, Fianna Fáil is focusing on economic growth. At the Fianna Fáil news conference this morning, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan insisted his party’s national recovery policy “is the correct and honest" plan.
“It is focused solely on the achievement of sustainable economic growth,” he said. “It has not been designed around voter appeal. It is realistic and it is credible. Our programme in the next Dáil will be the implementation of the plan.”
Mr Lenihan claimed that Fine Gael's policy would damage economic growth, as they contained many unspecified stealth taxes.
"Fine Gael portray themselves as low tax economy. But they have hidden taxes every where else. In local government there is a large amount of unspecified charges and a lack of clarity."
Fine Gael claimed today that investment in Ireland’s energy, water and communications networks could create up to 20,000 trade and construction jobs.
The party maintained putting money in key infrastructure projects through its NewERA stimulus plan was key to getting Ireland working. Fine Gael said it was the only party to put forward a costed and credible plan to invest €7 billion in modern national infrastructure.
Transport spokesman Simon Coveney said the bulk of investment would go towards bringing energy, water and communications networks up to the best international standards. The proposal was launched at St John's Central College, Cork, where party leader Enda Kenny met apprentices and post-Leaving Certificate course students.
In an interview this morning, Mr Kenny has said those on unemployment benefits will face cuts in their social welfare payments if they do not avail of training or other schemes.
Mr Kenny refused to say whether the recent row with Labour would make potential negotiations to form a coalition government more difficult after the election. The parties have clashed repeatedly in recent days over their taxation and fiscal plans.
Yesterday, Fine Gael struck back at sustained Labour Party criticism of its fiscal plans by claiming Labour taxes would cost each household an extra €1,300-plus each year. Labour described the claim as spurious and counterclaimed that Fine Gael’s plan had hidden taxes and cuts that would cost families €1,000 more each year.
Speaking today, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore reiterated that the party would not raise the amount of tax paid by people earning less than €100,00 per annum. He also said Labour would not impose water charges on homeowners but that it was in favour of phasing out tax reliefs such as Section 23 and a property tax on second homes.
Labour's justice spokesman, Pat Rabbitte today defended the strategy of attacking Fine Gael "stealth taxes" in newspaper advertisements, saying he could see nothing wrong with pointing out what the other party was proposing. If the public wanted a balanced road to economic recovery then the Labour plan was the best one, he said.
Mr Rabbitte also said Labour hasn't given up hope of Mr Gilmore becoming taoiseach despite opinion polls showing the party running a distant second to Fine Gael. He said the differences that had arisen between Fine Gael and Labour during the campaign would not prove insuperable obstacles to forming a coalition, he said, because these differences were political not personal.
The party also today published its plans for a new constitution, with the aim of having a referendum and a new charter in place by the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising in 2016.
The Green Party today outlined how the election of Independent TDs might affect the make-up of the next Dáil. Party leader John Gormley is canvassing in Co Louth.
Party leader John Gormley claimed pandering to the whims of individual TDs was unhealthy for the country. “We don’t need a Government that must constantly look over its shoulder to ensure that independents, with their range of interests, are being ‘looked after’,” he said.
Sinn Féin today called for funding seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau to be ringfenced for community-based drug projects and voluntary bodies.
The party today published its policy on the community and voluntary sector in advance of the election on February 25th. Speaking at Fatima Mansions in Dublin’s south inner city, Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh said the sector, with some 7,500 groups, was worth an estimated €6.5 billion to the economy. This was more than three times the level of State investment in it.