Tánaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton has denied that her Government's budgets were less progressive than the Fianna Fáil/Green Party budgets in the last government as those budgets led to "substantial job losses".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms Burton said: "Everybody was equal because everybody was poorer.
"That's a crazy notion of what is progress. That progress is everybody coming down and losing their income."
Ms Burton said families with children and single parents were "significant gainers" in Budget 2016.
Joan Burton says families with children and single parents gained most in Budget 2016 @morningireland #ge16 pic.twitter.com/JSA6KFPx2n
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 18, 2016
The Tánaiste said the Labour Party had advanced the rollout and development of a national primary health service.
She said 60 new primary health care centres have been built, as well as the 30 that are already there.
Ms Burton stated: "We are rolling out a national primary care health service and that the essence of improving the health service."
Ms Burton addressed the much-hyped "recovery" which many voters are claiming "has not reached them" and she admitted: "People still feel a great sense of loss for the things that they have lost - 300,000 people lost their jobs.
"I used to lie awake at night worrying that that the live register would reach half a million - as all of the media said it would - and it didn't."
On the subject of housing, the Tánaiste claimed that, if re-elected, it would become the government's main priority.
She said: "It will continue to be priority No 1, No2 and No3... I would like to see every famil housed tomorrow."
"I will say with my hand on my heart, if re-elected - housing will continue to be priority one, two and three."
"Notwithstanding that we haven't achieved all we wanted to achieve ... I want to ask people to give their vote to Labour."
When asked if she could see the Social Democrats being part of the next government, along with her own party, she said: "I think people won't make up their minds until polling day, it's all to play for.
"I'd hate to see a government made up of little factions, I don't see how it would last."
Listen to Joan Burton's Morning Ireland interview in full, here...
'High time' we had referendum on Eighth - Alex White
Labour Communications Minister Alex White has also told a news conference that it was "high time" the current generation was given the right to choose whether the amendment should remain.
He said: "Fianna Fáil didn't believe the people should be allowed decide, Fine Gael hadn't decided whether the people should decide, and Sinn Féin claimed to support a referendum but wouldn't participate in government unless Gerry Adams was Taoiseach."
Labour, he said, was "the only choice for women and men who care about the issue".
Mr White said if the referendum were passed Labour would introduce comprehensive legislation on the issue.
It would recognise the importance of "sustaining embryonic life while allowing terminations in the case of fatal foetal abnormalities, real risk to the the physical or mental health of the mother and where a pregnancy arising from rape or incest created a risk to a woman's health".
Mr White said that would only happen if Labour were returned to government.
In the past the party had "persuaded its partners in government of the need for instance for a marriage equality referendum".
Asked about a deadline, he said Labour "would bring it about by the early part of the next term", and that "the process to bring about the legislation would be under way by the Summer".
Ivana Bacik says if 8th repealed Labour's Bill would be very like 1967 British Abortion Act pic.twitter.com/mGJ8lDIJMY
— ddp (@theddp) February 18, 2016
Senator Ivana Bacik said the bill which Labour had prepared was very similar to the 1967 British
Abortion Act, but she denied that effectively meant abortion on demand.
Mr White said the issue could "only be resolved by comprehensive legislation, not by a simple constitutional provision".
Asked about the Taoiseach's own position, Mr White said that, while he didn't want to presume too much, Mr Kenny has changed his position on other issues, as had others in Fine Gael who had held what he called "heartfelt positions".
Earlier when asked about the subject in her Morning Ireland interview, Joan Burton confirmed that her party want to see a referendum on the subject.
She said: "I have deep respect for the archbishop (Diarmuid Martin) but we want to see a referendum to appeal that Eighth Amendment. We said historically it wasn't the best thing to do.
"We have had a number of appalling cases, like Savita Halappanavar. We are sending women abroad - that is a 20th-century solution."
"We need to address this as a society."
Archbishop wants 'results, not promises'
The Archbishop of Dublin has said that he wants to see "results rather than promises" and that "engaging in auction politics" is not the answer to many of the social problems in Ireland today.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, Diarmuid Martin said that a general election isn't simply about "spinning and canvassing but a chance for us all to reflect on our society and to challenge politicians".
Dr Martin said that economic growth is very important to generate good social policy but economic growth on its own doesn't generate social equality.
He added that Ireland's health crisis isn't the fault of nurses or doctors but of political parties.
He added that he felt there has not been an "adequate response to the housing crisis" and that, in fact, we have created an "industry of hotels where the tourist season is extended just to provide accommodation for young people".
Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin - 'everybody makes their own decision in conscience ... who am I to judge'?https://t.co/Zk8loI2OLp
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 18, 2016
He went on to say that there is a "growing anxiety across Europe about politics and political parties" and that, at the moment, there is a "real domination of spin and short-term answers in politics".
When questioned about abortion, Dr Martin said: "Everyone should vote with their conscience."
He added that it was not his job to tell people what party they should vote for or how they should vote.
He said that Bishops can issue decrees but it was "up to the individual to grow morally themselves".
Listen to Archbishop Martin's interview in full, here...
