Campaign closing statements All the main political parties made final appeals to the electorate yesterday ahead of tomorrow's European and local elections.
At Fianna Fáil's final press conference, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, insisted the party would do well. The Fianna Fáil director of local elections said the tribunals into planning corruption and other issues are not being raised on the doorstep.
"I can say that fairly, honestly because more than anybody I have been in almost every part of the country. Not once, in fact, was that issue raised with me . . . I am very pleased that the people in this campaign have focused on local issues. They do discern the difference between local and national government. The change in the dual mandate has been hugely positive, recognising the balance between local and national government."
The leader of Fine Gael, Mr Enda Kenny, said a successful European Parliament and local election campaign would enable the party to bid to replace Fianna Fáil in power after the next general election.
Mr Kenny told the party's final campaign press conference that Friday's election will produce "a substantial improvement" on Fine Gael's general election showing. He said the party would retain its four European Parliament seats and possibly gain a fifth, while coming close to retaining all of its 277 local government seats. "My message to voters is: you have waited since 2002. Now is your chance. Do something positive with your vote. Vote Fine Gael."
He urged Fine Gael supporters to give their lower preferences to Labour and Green Party candidates. With Fianna Fáil in danger of winning just four seats, Fine Gael could become the largest Irish party in the European Parliament, he said. "That would be the first beating for Fianna Fáil in an election since 1927."
The party's local elections director, Mr Frank Flannery, said he believed Fine Gael, which won 277 local government seats in 1999, would win 260 to 290 this time.
"I think we will do surprisingly well on June 11th," he said. The party could even equal the 28 per cent of the vote it won in 1999, "but if we get 25 or 26 per cent I will be very happy because it will be a huge achievement," he said.
The leader of the Labour Party, Mr Pat Rabbitte, told journalists at that party's final press conference that it was "old fashioned" to suggest Labour should confine itself to campaigning for the most alienated in society.
Such a notion suggested that Labour would use only the "tradesman's entrance", he said. While Labour would never leave alienated communities behind, he noted that voter turnout was lower in poorer areas. Though Sinn Féin might attract a protest vote in working class areas it had "no track record of delivery" for such communities.
Convinced that there is "widespread disillusionment" among the public about the state of the country, he said Fianna Fáil's support might fall to 32-34 per cent, "the lowest since 1932".
He urged voters to punish Fianna Fáil and the PDs "for the lies they told at the last general election", and said many of the scandals that had beset Irish politics had occurred in councils.
Confident that Mr Proinsias de Rossa and Prof Ivana Bacik could both win Euro seats in Dublin, he said that would be "a spectacular result", while he was also confident that Mr Peter Cassells would be elected in East.
Mr Rabbitte said he expected "significant" council gains, though he would not declare his target. He urged party supporters to continue their preferences against the Government but again declined to ask them to specifically vote for Fine Gael and the Greens
Mr Rabbitte said none of the mainstream parties in the Dáil would enter Government with Sinn Féin until its links with the IRA were ended: "I'm not sure people have accommodated themselves with the view of Sinn Féin being sent sent abroad as ambassadors for us," he said.
Meanwhile, the Tánaiste and Progressive Democrat leader, Ms Mary Harney, and the Sinn Féin President, Mr Gerry Adams, both predicted their parties would double their seat numbers.
However, Ms Harney said the PDs would not enter into an alliance with Sinn Féin on any local council. The PD leader said this policy would apply even if it meant losing mayoral positions on local authorities.
"Our view on Sinn Féin is very clear. For as long as they are associated with the Provisional IRA, and as long as they refuse to condemn and stand down their army, we are not going to enter into an alliance with them."
Mr Adams predicted "a good election for Sinn Féin", saying many voters saw them as "the only real alternative".
