The Government has broken a litany of election promises, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte claimed today, as he shredded a list of plans the coalition had given. However, the Minister for Health Micheal Martin accused Mr Rabbitte of staging an election stunt by shredding cards containing the leadership's promises made to the electorate before the last polling day.
Mr Martin said the Labour party have done nothing to put forward their own party's own policies. He said the party's transfer preferences did not always go to other candidates based upon the policies they follow.
"There has been a consistent lack of any positive proposals on Labour's part," Mr Martin said. "Anything that might have emerged seems to serve simply as an excuse to indulge in further negative posturing."
Outside Government Buildings, Mr Rabbitte said, there is a strong voter apathy building against the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrat coalition as a result of broken promises.
"They have betrayed the confidence of the people."
"The hospital waiting queues are as bad as ever, none of the 2,000 additional gardai have been employed, eligibility for cards is 45,000 less now than it was in May of 2002, and not one of the 10,000 additional social housing provided for in sustaining progress has been built," Mr Rabbitte said.
Mr Rabbitte said many members of the public have been expressing a deep sense of dissatisfaction with the Government.
He encouraged people to make sure they come out next Friday, June 11, and vote in the European Parliament and local government elections.
He said the steady decline in the numbers of people turning out to vote was a worrying trend.
"Voter apathy is a problem. I'm not sure it is as pronounced as is being said at the moment because there is a lot of anger out there about the Government and I'd be very disappointed if that manifested itself by staying at home," he added.
At the last general election in 2002 43% of the people in Dublin did not vote and around turned out 63% nationwide.