Taoiseach warns voters against backing 'amadán economics'

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said this election will be "one of the most important for generations" and warned voters not to back populist promises and “amadán economics”.

As he hosted Fine Gael's final campaign press conference in Carlow, flanked by ministers, he cautioned against people writing the “obituary just yet” for his party.

Fine Gael has set out what it would achieve in the first 100 days, if re-elected to government.

Mr Varadkar played down reports his ministers and TDs are at risk of losing seats in several constituencies and said he would be fighting for votes right up until polls close on Saturday night.

“It is going to be a very tight election. I'm sure of that with the three major parties competing for first, second and third place. In many ways, it makes it one of the most important elections in generations, a decision for people as to whether we continue to go forward or whether we go back with Fianna Fáil.

There's definitely an appetite for change. But we have to ask ourselves what type of change do we want?

"Is it the kind of change that continues to bring our country forward or the kind of change that brings us backwards and risks everything? Not just our economy but even the democratic institutions of our state.

“And that's what makes this election so crucial, in my view. We've seen Brexit in Britain, and the vote for Donald Trump in America and the rise of populism and extremism in many European countries.”

He added that he felt more worried about the country now than “anytime since the crash.”

The Fianna Fáil manifesto had contained typos and the party had "flip-flopped" on rent freezes, he said, while Sinn Féin was offering voters the "biggest con job" since the Fianna Fáil 1977 manifesto with promised tax cuts but extra charges for businesses.

“We all know that doesn't work. It didn't work in East Germany, it didn't work in Venezuela. All it does is drive business and jobs into the ground, as the economy and other revenue isn't there to pay for all the crazy promises that were made in the first place.”

Toaiseach Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael candidate Pat Deering (right) are confronted by a man on health issues while canvassing in Tullow, Co Carlow, today

And that was “amadán economics”, he insisted.

Amid questions from reporters about his TDs and ministers potentially losing their seats, Mr Varadkar told people to not “write the obituary just yet” about Fine Gael.

He also rejected Fianna Fáil's criticism of Fine Gael EU Affairs Minister Helen McEntee's ability and said it was "bang out of order."

Meanwhile, he said in an interview with Virgin Media News that Paschal Donohoe, the finance minister, would make a "good future Fine Gael leader".

He also admitted that there were "good people" in Sinn Féin who he had worked with but this was different from the notion of entering a coalition with them.