Apart from Richard Bruton, there is no other "pro-business" candidate from the alternative government, according to Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Speaking at a Progressive Democrats press briefing today, Ms Harney said: "We need a pro-business Government to power the economy, to promote jobs and investment," she said. "That's the clear choice for the electorate next week — pro-enterprise, pro-business, pro-jobs Cabinet or not."
Ms Harney said that she respected Fine Gael's finance spokesman and deputy leader Richard Bruton: "He has experience and a track record. He, for one, is pro-business.
"But there is only one Richard Bruton. We can't have Richard Bruton in finance, Richard Bruton in enterprise, Richard Bruton in environment, Richard Bruton in transport, Richard Bruton in communications and natural resources."
"Labour's Pat Rabbitte, wants finance and would insist on getting it," she added.
She said that Ireland is known around the world as a pro-business country with pro-business policies and there is "no such thing as a left-wing, pro-business government."
"On Thursday, we can choose people, policies and principles for a government that will put jobs and enterprise at the top of the agenda. We can choose a government that will be relentlessly focused on new jobs, better jobs and pro-business policies. That's the type of government the country gets every time the Progressive Democrats are in government," she concluded.
She said that Green Party leader Trevor Sargent had indicated he would leave it up to the NRA to decide whether or not the motorway to Cork and to Galway would be completed.
"The Greens also propose a 25 per cent increase in capital gains tax - from 20 to 25 per cent - that is not the strategy that will generate more economic activity in Ireland; it's not the strategy that will generate entrepreneurship in Ireland and its not the strategy to grow the revenue base to invest in health and education."
On the Fine Gael pledge to provide 2,300 new hospital beds Ms Harney that there was no money from the €2.4 billion, earmarked in the NDP, for such a plan. She said that to fulfil Fine Gael's pledge "something would have to go".
"That €2.4 billion is for the new Mater hospital, new children's hospital, new national rehabilitation hospital and 500 additional beds in our public acute hospitals."