Fine Gael complaint to RTÉ about Labour's Ivana Bacik is 'sour grapes', says Social Democrats

Dublin Bay South by-election has been billed as a race between Labour and Fine Gael, something Social Democrats candidate Sarah Durcan rejects.

Social Democrats by-election candidate Sarah Durcan: 'I think Fine Gael have been well able to pay for an awful lot of airtime all over the city.' Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Fine Gael's complaint to RTÉ about Ivana Bacik has been dismissed as "sour grapes" by Social Democrats by-election candidate Sarah Durcan.

Fine Gael has complained to the State broadcaster that Labour Party candidate Ms Bacik appeared in a non-political show discussing her Czech grandfather, founder of the Waterford Crystal factory, on Sunday evening, alleging it would give her an advantage in Thursday's Dublin Bay South by-election.

The Social Democrats candidate said that Leo Varadkar's party has already spent huge amounts on the by-election campaign.

"I think Fine Gael have been well able to pay for an awful lot of airtime all over the city as far as I can see, it's cost them an absolute fortune in the election, even before the election, so I think now that's a little bit late in the day to be having sour grapes about a bit of airtime," said Ms Durcan.

"The rest of us have had to go out there and be talking to people on the doorsteps and getting their votes and changing their minds. 

"Money isn't everything but this Government thinks that it is and are locking people out of housing, of education, of child care.

'A few gripes'

"So if that is their principle (complaint), just a few gripes about attribution of airtime, like, forget it."

Likewise, Social Democrats director of elections Gary Gannon said it annoys him that the smaller parties are often excluded.

"It does annoy me but we're not the type of party to just go around and complain and, certainly, Sarah has knocked on every door in the last couple of weeks and she's making an impression," he said.

"I think the Social Democrats are really leaving their mark in Dublin Bay South, we're not just gonna complain like Fine Gael, we actually just do the work.

"I think it's also very fair to say, actually, traditional media now reflects itself being behind the times when it comes to everyday political movements in this country."

The by-election has been billed as a race between Labour and Fine Gael, something Ms Durcan rejects.

"I think the message, nonetheless, is getting through, we're certainly making an impact on the doorsteps as we are in the polls," she said.

'Sea change'

"It's a real tired old narrative, there is a sea change happening in Irish politics so we can feel it across all of the age groups and all we need to do is go and talk to people to find that out.

"It is difficult when the press don't pick up on that and don't necessarily do all of the work to actually find out what people are thinking about on the doorsteps."

Ms Durcan was speaking in Temple Bar, Dublin, where she launched her arts regeneration plan for the tourist hotspot, calling for empty offices to be transformed into arts spaces and for further funding for the arts sector.