Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has hit back at Simon Coveney after he said that Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was "exhausting the opposition".
Mary Lou McDonald said that the general public was exhausted by Fine Gael's performance in government.
"Fine Gael have exhausted the people. He's right there, Simon. Bravo to that.
"You are very exhausting and I think so many people are exhausted by you. That's why we need people to vote for Sinn Féin to change the Government."
Ms McDonald attended both the Save Moore Street rally and the Remembrance Sunday Service at St Patrick's Cathedral.
Earlier, she took part in canvassing in Rathmines in south Dublin.
It comes after Simon Coveney said that Simon Harris is "exhausting the opposition" and making the Fine Gael party look dynamic.
At a rally of Fine Gael supporters in Cork, Mr Coveney said that Mr Harris' leadership has made the party look ambitious and the opposition look stale.
Martin focuses on housing, campaigns across Tipperary
Fíanna Fáil leader Micheál Martin finished campaigning in Roscrea in Co Tipperary.
He spent the day cross crossing through the Tipperary North and South constituencies.
The main topics he addressed included housing, the launch of the urban renewal plan, which sees Fianna Fáil committing to a new €175m urban initiatives programme to deal with areas across the countrythat need investment , and confirming his party's plan to set up transport police.
He said that when you talk to public transport workers, they say they do not feel safe and this is not fair.
Mr Martin noted that garda leadership were "not enthusiastic" about this initiative , but he is determined to press on, saying that it is "imperative".
On housing he discussed the extension of the First Home Scheme to cover second hand homes, outlining his view that people who grew up in areas where housing was built in the 1950s, 60s and 70s cannot afford to live there.
His attention now will be focused on the launch of his party's manifesto in Dublin city centre.
Once that manifesto is launched he then heads to County Louth to hit the trail again.
Harris says asylum seekers who are earning should have to contribute
Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said he believes International Protection Applicants who are earning money should have to pay towards the costs of services and that the government should be able to use chartered planes when needed to facilitate deportations.
Mr Harris said the contribution system would be means tested and applied to people who have a right to work after six months and are earning money.
He said it would be important for social cohesion because he said at the moment it does not pass 'the common sense test' with Irish people that people could be earning money in Ireland and not paying a contribution.
"I think Irish people want to see a migration system that is both compassionate and grounded in common sense," he said.
Mr Harris also said that the government should be able to use chartered planes where needed to deport people to their country of origin.
He said as Ireland moves forward with Europe, the number of returns are likely to increase and that it "makes sense" for the State to have a chartered plan for deportations "should that need arise".
Read more: Maps and profiles: Your interactive constituency guide
Asked about reports that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would prefer to enter the next government with the Labour Party rather than the Green Party, Mr Harris said he would not "buy into the narrative" about coalition formation as he does not take any votes for granted.
Mr Harris is doing a whistlestop tour leaving Cork to visit Limerick, Galway and Athlone, before heading to Dublin.
McDonald quick to call out Fine Gael over O'Leary comments
Mary Lou McDonald was quick to hit out at Fine Gael over comments made at a party event last night.
While endorsing a Fine Gael candidate, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary took aim at teachers, telling the crowd that while he loved them "I wouldn't generally employ a lot of teachers to go out and get things done."
Ms McDonald seemed to relish the opportunity to respond.
She directed her criticism at Fine Gael and the crowd who she said "jeered" as Mr O'Leary made the remarks. She refrained from mentioning Michael O'Leary specifically, the man who actually made the comments.
"I think it is completely inappropriate that they would be jeered and demeaned in the way that the were at a Fine Gael event," she said.
This wasn't the only swipe the Sinn Féin leader took at Fine Gael.
Mary Lou McDonald was canvassing in Rathmines, before attending a Save Moore Street rally and attending a Remembrance Sunday event in Dublin.
Sinn Féin leader @MaryLouMcDonald gets a warm reception from Sammy, a painter living in Ireland for 15 years, who was busy at work in Rathmines this morning @rtenews pic.twitter.com/6MMmlmmcvk
— Tommy Meskill (@TommyMeskill) November 10, 2024
While canvassing in south Dublin she met with a number of small business owners and members of the public.
Among them was Sammy, a painter living in Ireland for 15 years, who jumped down from his ladder to enthusiastically greet the Sinn Féin leader.
"I love your way," he told her.
On Monday, the party will host its candidate launch.
At present it has 71 people standing for an election.
Sinn Féin is also likely to use the event to focus on a particular theme, likely to be either, housing, cost-of-living, childcare or climate.
Gary Gannon and Róisín Shortall of the Social Democrats, as well as the party's other candidates running in the capital, have published a comprehensive plan to breathe life back into Dublin city centre.
Launching their plan, Social Democrats candidate in Dublin Central Gary Gannon said the party will not be ruling out going into government with any other party and will 'see what the numbers throw up'.
The plan itself includes ringfencing initial funding of €200m to begin implementing the recommendations in the Dublin City Taskforce report and a dedicated garda service for policing events in the capital.
There have been no big surprises in the General Election campaign, at least so far, with many parties and independent candidates reporting that expected issues - such as the high cost of living, and housing - are being raised with them on the doorsteps.
Meanwhile, Labour leader Ivana Bacik was in Dublin to unveil her General Election candidates.
Additional reporting Paul Cunningham, Tommy Meskill, Evelyn O'Rourke
