The two parties have become further entrenched in a war of words about economic credibility
Inside Politicstoday, the two parties have become further entrenched in a war of words about economic credibility, as they face off over tax and spending commitments.
To bring you up to speed: Fine Gael started the campaign on the back foot after Michael O’Leary’s jokes about teachers and Fianna Fáil wasted no time in making them feel the pain. While the teacher comments were by no means a fatal issue for Fine Gael, the whole situation made the party’s candidates feel very jumpy indeed .Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe last night accused Fianna Fáil of inflating figures in its manifesto by as much as €5.2 billion.
Fine Gael Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton found herself being repeatedly talked over by Mr Chambers as she attempted to respond to him. “You’re talking me down, you’re talking me down,” she said a number of times. Figures in Fine Gael immediately seized upon the Chambers performance last night, with one source labelling it as a “meltdown.”
Meanwhile, as Jack Horgan-Jones reports today, Fine Gael will today publish a new policy promising to pay a higher rate of parent’s benefit to those who have been in the workforce longer. Modelled on an overhaul of jobseekers’ benefit the Government put in place earlier this year, it would see a higher rate of payment for those who take parent’s leave, which will be linked to salary and capped at a max of 60 per cent of your salary, or €450 per week.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said: “On the face of it, it looks like they are going to restrict people from accessing it, add complexity to a very straightforward scheme which is administered by Revenue and while doing so, create a deep level of uncertainty for prospective buyers.”Former Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall and Dublin North-West candidate Rory Hearne will launch the party’s renters’ charter in Dublin this morning.
Green Party TD Steven Matthews and Minister of State Ossian Smyth outline the party’s plans to tackle vacancy and dereliction.
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