Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin's €22bn manifesto would 'destroy jobs'

Sinn Féin proposes that, if elected, it would increase public spending by an additional €22bn by 2025.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said Sinn Féin's €22bn manifesto would "destroy jobs" and again ruled out going into coalition with the party in the next government.

Sinn Féin proposes that, if elected, it would increase public spending by an additional €22 billion by 2025.

It also pledged to give away €2.4 billion in tax reductions every year, and raise €3.8 billion in tax increases annually.

Launching the manifesto in Dublin on Tuesday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, said the manifesto is "uplifting and fair".

Micheál Martin said that if the spending plan was implemented, it would threaten the Irish economy.

"Have you seen their General Election manifesto? They would destroy jobs in this country," he told RTÉ radio on Wednesday.

Mr Martin added the economy cannot afford to narrow the tax base any further as it needs to guard against potential shocks such as Brexit.

He again ruled out going into Government with Sinn Féin and said he "would stick to his word" on the issue.

"What you underestimate is the depth and the strength of opposition to Sinn Féin within the Fianna Fáil party and among the grassroots and among people who still remember what happened.

People within Fianna Fáil resent the legacy of Sinn Féin in terms of the gardaí that were attacked and killed and the army.

"People come up to me and they say that," he said. "What's worse is Sinn Féin has never fully apologised for that.

"They endorse it and they want to change the narrative, and they want to shove it down everybody's throat that it was a just war and so on.

"There are people in my party that tell me unequivocally they would never accept going into government with them and then you add to their record in Northern Ireland where they collapsed the institution for three years."

Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil would "do business" with other centrist parties such as Labour and the Green Party.

Data courtesy of The Irish Times

Asked if he was ruling out another confidence and supply deal with Fine Gael he said "we should respect the electorate" and wait for the outcome of the election.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said in response: "We won't take lectures from the party that wrecked the economy or the one that made ordinary people pay. Sinn Féin makes no apologies for seeking to give workers and families a break."

In Clane in Co Kildare, Mr Martin accused Sinn Féin of trying to "wipe out" small businesses with its economic plan.

"I want to build up a strong Irish small to medium-sized enterprise base in this country and I think the taxation policies of Sinn Féin would wipe it out," he said.

"€22 billion worth of expenditure - we were told there is only €11 billion available to spend...so in my view, their planned policies do not add up at all.

"I think it is an extraordinary manifesto which I think all economists are saying is in no way sustainable and I think it would damage the economy and is quite dangerous."