Six things we learned on the campaign trail today
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Sinn Féin are making a last minute push to pick up more votes, with the party asking for those who wouldn’t normally vote for them to hold their nose and back them to kick Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael out of office.
Pearse Doherty made the plea outside Government Buildings on Wednesday afternoon, saying that Sinn Féin are the only option to lead a government that excludes Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“By voting for an independent, you’re not changing the government. That’s the reality and a lot of people know that hand on heart.
“Therefore, lend us your vote. We will put them out of government. You give us the support, you support our candidates, we will put them out of government.” Pressed on how Sinn Féin’s path to power and whether it requires one of either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, Mr Doherty pushed back on the assertion and said that the momentum in the campaign has shifted.
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“There’s clearly a change that has taken place on the ground. We’re seeing some of that reflected in the polls, in terms of Fine Gael’s vote collapsing,” Mr Doherty said.
Labour today kicked off with accusations that Fine Gael are launching “Operation Fear”, while at the same time splurging on their own “hare-brained schemes”.
The party’s finance spokesperson, Ged Nash, took aim at both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for their promises on tax and spending, while accusing the two of contriving a Cabinet meeting to warn the public of a Trump White House.
Paschal Donohoe denied the claim, saying that since he first became Finance Minister he has argued for “the value of setting money aside, because you never know what is around the corner”.
Mr Nash claimed the biggest threat posed to Foreign Direct Investment and the Irish economy is the continuation of the current coalition.
Mr Nash said that Fine Gael took a conscious decision to "promise the sun, moon and stars to absolutely everybody" with plans to narrow the tax base while also splurging on hare-brained schemes such as the Acorn Savings Account.
"We have been here before and it did not end well," Mr Nash warned. "At a time of unprecedented global instability and threats to our export model and future revenues, now is not the time to be engaging in reckless splurges."
Embattled Fine Gael candidate John McGahon found himself thrown squarely under a bus on Wednesday, as the party’s leader Simon Harris told reporters that he is “not sure” if he will let the candidate canvas with him in Louth.
Mr Harris said that he would need to think about whether or not to allow Mr McGahon go doorknocking in the constituency, which is one of the last that the Fine Gael leader needs to visit to hit all 43 constituencies before polling day.
When asked if he would call on Mr McGahon to leave a canvas, Mr Harris responded: “We're not in that space at all but whether I do or don't get to canvass with Senator McGahon, is a matter I'm not yet decided on.” Despite this, the Taoiseach has not withdrawn support from Mr McGahon over the course of the campaign, but has highlighted that a second candidate – Paula Butterly – is available for prospective Fine Gael voters.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has made it clear that Ireland will need to have a new government in place by January 20 next year, before a new Trump administration takes up office.
However, he says that it will be “very tight” to get a programme for government agreed before December 18, when the 34th Dáil will meet for the first time.
Mr Martin said there were no winners in a trade war with the US and Ireland would work on diplomatic, political and economic fronts to do what could be done to influence possible events.
External shocks are probably the biggest threat to the economy and have been for some time and even before the election of Mr Trump the global economy was and is in turmoil, Mr Martin said.
With less than two days before the polls open, the Social Democrats are starting to set out their expectations around seat numbers.
Deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said that he believed the party is in the hunt in ten constituencies, with the party also hoping to hold on to its six outgoing Dáil seats.
The outgoing Dublin Bay South TD said that there was “significant momentum” behind the Social Democrats in the final days of the campaign, adding that there are huge amounts of undecided voters at this stage.
Outgoing TDs like Gary Gannon and Jennifer Whitmore are confident that they will be able to hold their seats, even in tightly contested constituencies like Dublin Central and Wicklow.
Paschal Donohoe, Fine Gael’s finance spokesperson, took things in a different direction on Wednesday.
Mr Donohoe told gathered Fine Gaelers at a party pep rally that he faced a decision on Tuesday night – whether to watch highlights of the RTÉ leaders’ debate or the best bits of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
"So I was in a debate myself, TV3, it was Paschal against the world in the studio making the case for a sensible approach to how we look after our economy, our public finances, the value of having a job, the value of keeping the job,” he said.
“When that debate concluded, when I made that case, I got back home to Phibsborough, got back home to Dublin Central, and I said: 'What am I going to do? Am I going to put on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, have a look at the highlight, see what's happening with Coleen Rooney, or will I turn on the RTÉ player. Will I look at the highlights and see how it went and I made the right choice.
"I can say with confidence, it's the only time that Simon Harris has ever been compared to anybody in I'm a Celebrity.”