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Updates from the campaign trail
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Live updates:
1900 Speaking in Kells tonight, Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin called on Enda Kenny to leave his advisers behind and agree to come to the debating table.
Micheal Martin said he was disappointed Enda Kenny refused his suggestion of a series of comprehensive debates and that people need to know in detail where parties stand on issues in this election.
1757 Paschal Sheehy: An opinion poll published in today's Kerry's Eye newspaper has indicated that Fianna Fáil could be without a seat in Kerry after the election for the first time in the party's history.
The telephone poll was conducted on behalf of the newspaper last Saturday by the School of Business and Social Studies at the Institute of Technology, Tralee.
Just under 500 people were contacted in the two constituencies - Kerry North/West Limerick and Kerry South - and the poll results are based on responses from 339 people.
The poll indicates that support for out-going Tralee-based TD Tom McEllistrim has collapsed, while South Kerry's John O'Donoghue will struggle to retain his seat for Fianna Fail there.
Instead, the poll indicates that the Labour Party's Arthur Spring - a nephew of former Tánaiste Dick Spring - will take a seat in Kerry North/West Limerick.
In Kerry South, the poll indicates that independent candidate Tom Fleming - who left Fianna Fail after he failed to get selected to run for the party in the election - will top the poll there.
1746 Former FG Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Kevin Kiely has decided to leave the party and to stand as an independent candidate in Limerick City.
1735 David Davin-Power at the Labour conference: More coffee, then soundbites - the best so far of this campaign. 'Fianna Fail has taken the schilling and must follow the drum'! I'll bet their ears are burning in Frankfurt. Read the full blog post here
1726 Damien O'Reilly tells Drivetime that John Gormley's campaign launch speech was focused on 'talking down' FG and Labour policies.
1700 In Limerick, Gilmore says achieving a 3% deficit by 2015 is 'not reasonable' as there has to be time to allow the economy to grow.
1638 'Instead of tackling the economic crisis, the Labour Party will shirk its responsibilities and pretend the crisis does not exist.' claims John Gormley.
'Their response to the need to plug a €9bn hole in the public finances is to say that they will save €7bn in the short term, and postpone the other necessary €2bn savings needed.'
1622 The Drivetime debate with 8 of the 11 declared Mayo constituency candidates is available as a podcast
1615 The National Adult Literacy Agency is calling on all parties to drop political jargon and ensure their material and messages are in plain English.
Here's a few notes on everything from absentee ballots to whistleblowers....
1607 Micheál Martin speaking to Fianna Fáil members in Dunboyne a short time ago. (below)
1550 Adrian Lydon has begun a journey down the Shannon to speak to voters to hear what issues matter to them
1546 At meeting with Intel executives this afternoon Enda Kenny was told that Ireland's 12.5% corporate tax rate was crucial to future development in the country.
Canvassing in Maynooth, Mr Kenny said that if in Government, changes to the rate is something he would make sure never happened.
1524 A collection of Election 2011 election slogans has been put together by Broadsheet.ie
1522 David Davin-Power: Egyptian authorities are forcing phone companies to send pro-govt. text messages to everyone.... hmm - could it happen here??
1515 Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party and United Left Alliance launching the 'hands off our water campaign'...
1420 'It's bad enough that Fianna Fáil brought the IMF into Ireland. But Labour's policies are equally hazardous,' says Damien English.
1415 Taking a break from canvassing in Galway..
1324 Fianna Fáil's Dara Calleary is claiming FG has changed a core part of its economic policy.
'Today, having boasted that they could create 105,000 over the next four years, Fine Gael have now revised their jobs target downwards to 80,000.
'You have to wonder if Fine Gael is just making up these figures.'
1315 Economist Colm McCarthy will be on News At One shortly to discuss what, if any, assumptions can be made about economic growth or lack of it...
1243 Enda Kenny has been given odds of 4/1 in a charity bet from Paddy Power Bookmakers for his party to win over 70 seats.
The odds were set at 2/1 but were increased as he placed the bet in Dublin City Centre so that the Guidedogs for the Blind would collect €5,000 if the bet comes in on election night.
1237 Fine Gael Spokesperson on Finance Michael Noonan has said Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin is seeking attention, and picking a row when he accused Fine Gael of being dishonest over the EU-IMF bailout deal.
Mr Noonan said Mr Martin is trying to pick a fight because his party is in fourth position in the polls, and Fine Gael will refuse to give him the attention he is starved of.
He said Enda Kenny has taken a jump in the polls of 7%, and he believes he will make an excellent Taoiseach
1222 Roscommon Hospital Action candidate John McDermott says the commitment by Fine Gael's James Reilly to the Rocommon hospital does not go far enough.
1212 Emma O Kelly: It was a very low key campaign launch from the Greens this morning in a darkened Dublin night club.
The word 'honest' in what felt like every second sentence - 'Honest with the people', 'honest policies' ... honestly.
John Gormley said they'd be fighting for the last seat in the nine constituencies they're targeting, in many cases against Fianna Fáil candidates.
That's another word that featured, 'We will fight and fight and fight' said John Gormley, 'We are fighters'.
Alas there were no chocolate biscuits to fight over here, no sign of oatmeal or fruit either...
1203 David Davin-Power: Asked about the party's decision to drop provisions for a third rate of tax, Gilmore said it had been overtaken by events, particularly the budget decision to introduce a Universal Social Charge.
He said Labour would extend the 10% USC rate to incomes over 100,000 euro to include employee's salaries.
Mr Gilmore again committed the party to not increasing income taxes for those earning less than 100,000.
1202 Eamon Gilmore has said that the first choice that Irish voters are going to have to make in this election is whether our budgets are decided in Frankfurt or by the democratically elected government of the Irish people
'The bad deal that Fianna Fail made with the EU and the IMF effectively writes the budgets for the next four years.'
1153 Bryan Dobson: Standing room only at the Labour news conference - the prospect of power is a media magnet
1147 Enda Kenny says former Minister and colleague Gemma Hussey should 'keep her comments to herself.'
He was asked about comments she made about his leadership on last night's Eleventh Hour...
'She is out of politics and should stay out of it,' says Kenny
Kenny said 'she had her day' and should remember the times he helped her when she was a senior minister.
1143 Today Fine Gael launched its 5 Year Plan to get Ireland working.
'Working for Our Future, is based on keeping people in work within Ireland, making it easier to start up new businesses, making Ireland a better place to do business, and helping more Irish businesses to look beyond our borders and sell on a global scale.'
Not to be outdone - Sinn Féin has just revealed a 10 Point Plan on job creation.
'Without a serious plan for job creation we are in danger of losing hundreds of thousands of people who will have little option but to leave these shores in search of work' - Mary Lou McDonald
1316 Eamon Gilmore out and about in Dublin...
1133 If in Government, an increase in the high rate of VAT will be counteracted by a reduction in the low rate of VAT, says Fine Gael.
Leo Varadkar said 'it is a bit rich' for Fianna Fail to criticise his party for increasing the high rate of tax, when it intends doing the same thing over two years.
1125 RTÉ reporters and correspondents will be blogging from the campaign trail throughout the election
1123 David McCullagh: Grumpy hacks have created a monster. After moaning about Fine Gael's late start and curtailed questions yesterday, the parties are intent on overkill this morning.
Brian Lenihan's news conference in FF HQ started a bit late - but the press director made a point of saying ALL questions would be answered.
As a result, many of us arrived late at FG - where Enda Kenny was well into his speech. FG handlers pointing at watches at tut tutting!
1052 Enda Kenny was up early this morning - meeting potential voters at St Stephen's Green Luas terminus in Dublin.
1048 The Greens have again questioned Fine Gael-s economic proposals - insisting that cutting 18,000 public service jobs would mean drastic cuts in welfare and essential services.
John Gormley also claimed the Labour party had abandoned its plans to have a third tax rate and would 'end up increasing taxes on ordinary working people.'
The Greens 'would be honest with the voters in an election where other parties are not being honest.'
1046 Over at Fianna Fáil elections HQ - Brian Lenihan was asked about his credibility to comment on a possible recovery given his comments in Budget 2010 that Ireland 'had turned a corner.'
Lenihan said he makes no apology for saying Ireland had turned a corner - because it had - by stabilising its position.
'Revenue and expenditure targets set out in that budget were met.'
1041 The Sugar Club was the venue this morning as the Green Party launched its campaign. John Gormley told the assembled reporters that the party hopes to contest every constituency - 39 candidates have already been nominated.
'Realistically we will be targeting the last seat in nine constituencies.'
1032 Chocolate biscuits, fresh fruit and oatmeal ... Read David McCullagh's impressions of the first day of the election campaign
1028 Stephen O'Leary of O'Leary Analytics tells @TodaywithPK that 3,500 tweets using hashtag #ge11 were published in the last 48 hours.
1026 Today With Pat Kenny is discussing the importance of Twitter in the election campaign. Listen live
1022 Joe Mag Raollaigh edits his Nine News package on Fianna Fáil last night (below)
1020 At the Fianna Fáil morning election news conference, Brian Lenihan said Fine Gael and Labour would not reverse measures implemented in recent months by Fianna Fáil aimed at correcting the country's economic problems.
He claimed the Universal Social Charge was accepted by Fine Gael and Labour and will not be withdrawn by both parties if they are in Government.
