Campaigning for the 2007 general election began in earnest today with Minister for Finance Brian Cowen accusing Fine Gael and Labour of ignoring the past 10 years of economic success.
Speaking at a news conference in Dublin this morning Mr Cowen said the alternative coalition "doesn't even think prosperity merits a mention in its core programme.
"During the first day of the election campaign it was striking that Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte again completely ignored jobs and the economy. After also ignoring them in their core platforms for this election, it is now clear that is a deliberate tactic.
"The fact is that Fianna Fáil has delivered 10 years of change for jobs and growth in this country . . . to dismiss this out of hand shows that Kenny and Rabbitte just don't understand modern Ireland," Mr Cowen said.
Fianna Fáil is due to publish its full manifesto on Thursday.
Fine Gael deputy leader and finance spokesman Richard Bruton responded by saying the FG/Labour plans were "based on conservative assumptions taken from the most authoritative economic sources".
"In fact, Fine Gael and Labour growth and tax forecasts are even more conservative than those used by Fianna Fáil themselves," Mr Bruton said.
"But when Cowen puts Fine Gael and Labour's joint proposals through his secret magic computer, they somehow produce budget deficits."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny presented the party's Contract for a Better Irelanddocument, and Labour unveiled another step in its publicity campaign as leader Pat Rabbitte began his "Make a Change" tour.
Labour deputy leader Liz McManus said the election would serve as a referendum on the Government's plan's to locate private clinics on public hospital lands.
Sinn Féin education spokesman Seán Crowe said investment at primary level was a key priority.
Publicising his party's education policy today, Mr Crowe said Sinn Féin would reduce class sizes for under-nines to a ratio of 20 children per teacher and progress through the rest of the primary system over time.
The Green Party will announce its taxation policy tomorrow. Chairman and director of elections John Gormley today said election postering was "out of hand" and promised his party would introduce limits on political advertising if elected.
The Progressive Democrats published its full manifesto yesterday, and party leader Tánaiste Michael McDowell will make speech on the economy in Co Kildare this afternoon.