"My party has never bankrupt the country" - Harris

Simon Harris has said it's about 14 years since the IMF came to town, and "my party has been called upon time and time again to work with the Irish people in difficult times".

He said that Fine Gael is proposing spending plans of €52bln extra over the course of the lifetime of the next government, which, he says, is €27bln less than Sinn Féin is proposing.

"We don't promise people to spend money that we're not sure the country will have, and the best way to protect all of our standards of living, all of our jobs, the money in all of our pockets, is by making sure that you do have that buffer."

He added that his party's cost of living measures and setting aside money will ensure that "your kids will never experience the austerity we did".