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Varadkar and McDonald in war of words

Updated / Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016 18:58
Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald clashed over their parties' various policies
Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald clashed over their parties' various policies

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald have engaged in a war of words during a radio discussion.

Speaking on Newstalk radio of a "right to water" march that took place in Dublin last weekend, Ms McDonald - who estimated 80,000 people participated - said there was a "movement for change on the ground".

In response, Mr Varadkar said that elections are also "about the millions of people who haven't attended protests but who are thinking about their job security and families".

He added that, in this election, Fine Gael is "proposing to cut taxes by €2.5bn while Sinn Fein was proposing to increase taxes by €1.7bn".

Ms McDonald noted that "the astonishing thing about the right to water protesters is that it is middle Ireland on the march and supported by those who have never participated in protests before."

She accused Fine Gael of "benefitting the better off" under its plan, a claim which was refuted by Mr Varadkar.

He said: "Sinn Féin can promise all they like, but if they get into government, the economic stability would be undermined and there will be no money left to fulfill these promises."

Ms McDonald said Sinn Féin's proposals on pensions "were aimed at rich people who use large pension pots to avoid paying tax".

This, Leo Varadkar said, was not the truth. He said Sinn Féin "talk the rhetoric of high earners" but their plan would target anyone who earns over €35,000.

Ms McDonald later urged voters to "come out to cast their ballots on Friday".

She said that two very different conversations had emerged over the course of the campaign - one "in the media" and one "on the ground".

She claimed Gerry Adams had been "the exception" among party leaders in not having to canvass with "Garda escorts", an indication, she said, of the reception Sinn Féin was receiving on the doorsteps.

Ms McDonald said: "Sinn Féin's final message today was to urge people to vote for the party that could 'do things better' - especially those voters who felt let down by the other parties, particularly Labour".

She said Sinn Féin was committed to the abolition of third-level fees, property tax, and water charges. These, she said, were "huge issues on doorsteps", adding that there was a "crisis in the cost of living for families".

Taoiseach 'man enough to move on' from mistakes

The Taoiseach says he feels the outgoing administration can improve on recent poll results in the final hours before polls open.

Enda Kenny said at present Fine Gael and Labour were close to 40% in the polls. He said reports from around the country made him think the parties "could increase on that percentage and get more seats".

Mr Kenny said when people critically examined what was on offer from both parties, he hoped they would "choose the stability being offered by both parties".

Minister Michael Noonan said he didn't agree that polls were fragmented. He said on the basis of yesterday's opinion poll, the outgoing administration was on 38% and was "very close to the numbers needed to form a government". 

He said Fine Gael hoped to recover the "three or four points" it needed. 

Mr Kenny said he was "human", conceded he "made mistakes during the campaign" but said he was "man enough to admit this and move on".

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald opened proceedings at the party's final press conference of the campaign. 

She stressed the way in which the party plans to "deliver the benefit of economic recovery to all citizens".

Minister Fitzgerald said the recovery must be "personal and significant" and carried "over the doorstep, into citizens' lives".

She said if Fine Gael was returned to power it would create a "wealth of possibilities for our people and for our nation".

Minister Varadkar told the conference: "Fine Gael was the only party that had a credible jobs plan and a credible economic plan."

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said job creation was at the centre of his party's plan because of the benefit employment brought to all sectors.

He said: "The social damage caused by the recession was apparent and the big factor was whether people were working or not."

He said Fianna Fáil "hardly mention job creation in their manifesto". Minister Noonan said reducing personal tax rates was important. He said the country could afford to abolish USC and that it would generate more jobs.

Minister of State for Finance Simon Harris warned voters that "Fianna Fáil cannot be trusted on pensions policy".

He pointed out that "Fianna Fáil is criticising Sinn Féin for adopting a pension policy first proposed by Fianna Fáil".

"Sinn Féin was exposed last week when it was revealed that the party's pensions tax relief policy would hammer someone on €40,000 by as much as €800 a year."

Martin ready for 'surprises' on polling day

Oppostion leader Micheál Martin said he was "very happy" with his performance in last night's debate.

He said he felt he "got the opportunity to get his key messages across".

He described the Taoiseach's reference to John McNulty as "quite revealing, given all that was said in the Dáil at the time".

Asked about the number of seats Fianna Fáil is likely to take, Mr Martin said "elections throw up a lot of surprises" and warned that caution was needed.  

But while he wouldn't be drawn on the number of seats FF hoped to gain, he said the figures commentators were mentioning had changed since the beginning of the campaign and he thought it would "change again on Saturday".

His plans for Saturday include having a sleep-in and a good breakfast before heading into Cork City Hall for the tallies, and on to Dublin afterwards.

Social Democrats hoping for seventh heaven

At their last party conference the Social Democrats said they are targeting seven seats in the election.

Co-leader of the party Róisín Shortall said the government parties had seriously misjudged the mood of the electorate in the campaign and got off to a bad start - she said most people hadn't felt the recovery.

Ms Shortall said: "People want decent services for a decent society" and she pledged to "repair the damage to public services over the past five years".

She said: "Fine Gael has never been re-elected to government in this country and there was a reason for that - the gap between the rich and poor."

Catherine Murphy said the party is "looking to the future" because it is a new party and much of the campaign has been dominated by the past in the debates. 

Ms Murphy said: "Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing things over and over again and expecting a different result - things had to be done differently."

She said the party's manifesto shows how the Social Democrats would do things differently. 

Meanwhile, Renua and the Green Party are also holding their final press conferences of the election campaign.

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