FG vows to lower inflation

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael today clashed on jobs and cost of living issues as the latest poll swung towards the Opposition.

Fine Gael vowed to end Fianna Fáil’s reign as the ’godfather of Rip-off Ireland.’ The party promised to bring down inflation to within EU average rates.

Frontbench spokesman Phil Hogan also said that Fine Gael’s increase of 3% in the latest national poll to 35% could translate into 57 seats and was clear evidence that voters wanted a change of government.

Fianna Fáil dropped 3% to 35% according to the Millward Brown IMS poll in the Irish Independent newspaper.

Fianna Fáil Minister Seamus Brennan has said it was “absolutely scandalous and disgraceful” that the Opposition were taking economic growth for granted.

Mr Brennan said the current Government had generated 600,000 jobs, yet Fine Gael and the Labour Party had no strategy to drive employment in the future.

He said: “This will be a very close election. For the Irish people this is a deadly serious choice. We’re asking voters which team do they think is better for creating wealth.”

The Greens said it was now clear from opinion polls that it could not form a Coalition with Fianna Fail but he added that he wouldn’t do a deal with Enda Kenny if all it amounted to was ’Fianna Fail-Lite’.

“Any Coalition the Greens are a member of would have to tackle climate change, clean up politics, improve the education system and promote better planning,” leader Trevor Sargent explained, launching a campaign video.

Fine Gael and Labour also began a ’Free the Fianna Fáil Two’ campaign to ’release’ Ministers Dick Roche and Martin Cullen.

The Opposition parties claimed that the Government party’s focus group research showed that the Cabinet members’ appearance on the airwaves was impacting negatively on voters.

However Fianna Fáil said they were busy canvassing in their constituencies and fulfilling ministerial engagements.

Two large cardboard cut-outs of the ministers stood beside the platform at this morning’s Fine Gael news briefing.

In other election news, the Progressive Democrats vowed establish a child protection unit within the Education Department and ’anti-bullying’ programme within schools.

Launching its Educating for Success document, the party pledged to invest €2bn to help children from poor backgrounds to go to university. The Government partners also promised to increase the primary school building capital budget from €305m this year to over €400m in the lifetime of the next government.

Labour, which increased its support by 1% to 13% in today’s poll, published the party’s plan to address social disadvantage.

It promised to introduce a year’s free pre-school education for all three-year-old children before they begin primary education and extra training for teachers in numeracy and literacy areas.

Labour pledged more funding for the National Education Welfare Board to stop students dropping out before their Leaving Certs.

Sinn Féin said it would amend planning laws to ensure that all major housing developments include adequate educational, childcare and recreational facilities and proper transport links from day one.

Addressing quality of life issues while canvassing in Dublin, leader Gerry Adams committed to class sizes of 20 pupils for pupils under nine.

“Years of bad planning, where vast housing estates were built with little or no infrastructure, have resulted in drastically over-crowded classrooms, a childcare shortage and transport chaos in many communities across Dublin and its surrounding counties,” he said.