Ahern defends lack of cystic fibrosis centres
On the penultimate day of campaigning, Mr Ahern and his rival for Taoiseach Enda Kenny both fulfilled an exhaustive series of canvassing stops and media interviews across the country.
In a testing interview on RTÉ’s Six-One news last night, Mr Ahern was asked about a promise first made 10 years ago to build centres for cystic fibrosis in Cork and Dublin.
He insisted that it was listed in the NDP under the €2.4bn capital budget for health and said he had written a letter to that effect.
Mr Ahern was also challenged on a Fianna Fáil advertisement that claims only 3% of tax payers will benefit from FG and Labour proposals.
He stood over it on the basis that FF claims that its reform of PRSI will benefit 97% of taxpayers. He would not accept that was different to saying that only 3% would benefit.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern last night urged “disaffected” Labour voters to switch their allegiances to Fianna Fáil.
Labour responded by accusing the minister of desperation.
Mr Ahern claimed that a vote for Labour was a vote for Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, whose policies would “sell out” Labour values.
“The alliance for change is a cold house for traditional Labour values. It is an axis of taxes which will hit Irish workers hardest,” Mr Ahern said.
“Only by switching to Fianna Fáil can Labour supporters be sure of delivering the agenda of social justice, fair taxes and better public services.”
Mr Ahern claimed Fine Gael was a party with “a minimal history or commitment to delivering for Irish workers or the less well-off.
“Lemass always said Fianna Fáil was Ireland’s Labour Party. We are the natural home for these disaffected Labour supporters. They should join with us now to make a difference.”
But Labour councillor Ger Nash, a constituency rival of Mr Ahern, said the minister’s call “smacked of desperation”.
“Dermot is surely desperate if he is trying to poach Labour voters at this late stage in the day,” he said.
