There was no let up in the war of words today as political parties entered the final weekend of campaigning before next Thursday's vote.
As politicians and candidates anxiously awaited the results of two key opinion polls in Sunday newspapers, the Progressive Democrats warned that the economic policies of Labour and the Greens would unravel hard-earned prosperity.
Ms Harney said: "The economy is not on automatic pilot. The people that make the decisions that generate economic success come from governments which have to have coherent policies.
"We cannot take the risk that a left wing dominated government with incoherence on economic activity is going to take over from next Thursday. I don't believe the people will allow that to happen," she said.
But Green TD Ciaran Cuffe said the negative campaigning by the PDs was an act of desperation.
Labour's Eamon Gilmore insisted that Labour and Fine Gael were the only future coalition option to agree a joint economic programme. "Voters know they're getting joined-up economic framework, " he claimed.
Earlier Labour leader Pat Rabbitte claimed Fianna Fáil's election campaign was "increasingly desperate, wholly negative and devoid of vision for the future of the country".
Speaking while canvassing in Galway, Mr Rabbitte said Fianna Fáil had been campaigning on nothing more than fear and distortion and were offering the voters nothing new.
"On schools, as on health, arrogant, out-of-touch Ministers simply deny that problems exist," he said.
Fianna Fáil hit back saying the Opposition were in a tailspin after what it claimed was Enda Kenny's poor showing in Thursday night's leaders debate.
Minister of State at the Department of Health Brian Lenihan said: "The dismantling of the Fine Gael contract in the debate has left the Opposition in a tailspin refusing to answer questions about Enda Kenny's proposed cutbacks in health programmes, smaller Garda numbers and a tax package weighted to the top 3 per cent of earners".
Mr Lenihan said that the people had waited weeks to hear a real debate on the issues and when they got one the Fine Gael leader raised serious questions about his own proposals. "In the final days of this campaign it is substance not sound bites that the public want to hear and Fine Gael should stop running and start answering," he said.
Progressive Democrat leader Michael McDowell claimed a vote for the Rainbow coalition was a vote for a government in which left-wing parties will be the driving force on tax and finance policy.
"A vote for the Rainbow is a vote for Pat Rabbitte as Finance Minister and for Trevor Sargent as Environment Minister. A vote for the Rainbow is a vote to put Fine Gael into office and the Left into power," he said.
Mr Rabbitte said: "Fianna Fáil have thrown up their hands on health, and are willing to hand the health service over to private for-profit investors, rather than rebuild a quality health service for all our people."
He said the Fianna Fáil party had no agenda for tackling crime - they refuse to establish a Garda Authority and they have no commitment to really effective community policing.
"Labour is determined to improve the lives of hard working families. We know that Ireland has a successful economy, but we have a society under strain. Labour is committed to fixing the things that don't work - to ensuring that you can get a hospital bed for your mother, a school place for your child and a Garda when your neighbourhood needs one," he said.