Simon Harris: Voting Sinn Féin means ending up 'skint'
Taoiseach Simon Harris listens to Leah O’Byrne, a student at St Josephs College in Lucan, County Dublin, on Thursday. Picture: Damien Eagers
The Taoiseach has warned that people would end up "skint" if Sinn Féin wins Friday's election, but denied that his warnings amounted to "scaremongering".
Speaking in Lucan at his last media conference ahead of the vote, Simon Harris said that the opposition is offering change, but that could be a change in the economy.
“Sinn Fein is promising change. That could mean change in my pocket. A lot of people could end up skint. Don’t end up with buyers’ remorse,” he said.
"In relation to this election, the economic headwinds are real, and we've seen that only this week. And for Mary Lou McDonald, somebody who aspires to be Taoiseach to describe that as scaremongering just because she can't come up with a coherent answer to respond to that is dismissive of the economic reality of the world."
Mr Harris once again ruled out talking to Sinn Féin and said that other parties had not done so — an apparent reference to a 2021 statement by Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan that 12 of his party's TDs would be open to coalition with Mary Lou McDonald's party.
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Fianna Fáil members have, however, rowed in behind their leader Micheál Martin in ruling out such a coalition this week.
“You will not find one Fine Gael TD, on the record or off the record, being open to a coalition with Sinn Féin,” Mr Harris said.
This was echoed by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, who said: "Sinn Fein, yesterday, asked for the lend of your vote. If you lend them your vote, you lend them your future. You might not get your future back.
"Sinn Fein have not been able to answer the most basic economic questions in this campaign. Not one."
Mr Harris said while he did not regret the timing of the election, he admitted his party had experienced "bumps" in its campaign. He claimed other parties were becoming "arrogant".
"This is all to play for. There's a little bit of arrogance creeping into some of the other parties. I read the briefings about who's going to be the largest party. The best of luck to them. The best of luck to everyone.
"As President Obama said to Sarah Palin, when he rang her up, when she was put on John McCain's ticket as vice president. I wish you luck, but not too much."
The Taoiseach was once again asked about his reaction to the CCTV footage of an altercation involving Fine Gael candidate John McGahon and said he wanted to remind people that the party has two candidates in Louth.
However, he declined to answer whether he himself would vote for Mr McGahon.
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