Both Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny today pledged to deliver a strong economy and more spending on public services if elected as opinion polls predicted a tight run-off in Thursday's vote.
Enda Kenny speaking in Dublin's Temple Bar today
As part of his Contract for a Better Ireland, Mr Kenny promised to implement several policy initiatives in his first 100 days in office.
The Fine Gael leader said he would immediately set about identifying locations for 2,300 extra hospital beds, reform the current stamp duty regime and initiate moves to provide free GP visits for under 5s upon taking up office.
He also promised to restrict all government-controlled price increases, introduce a new ethics bill to regulate gifts to ministers and appoint a minister for immigration.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Dublin today, he claimed for the first time ever in an Irish election a candidate for taoiseach was making a "solemn bond" with the people.
But Taoiseach Bertie Ahern claimed Mr Kenny's contract was a fraud that was not worth the billboard it was written on.
"It's nothing but sound bite politics, said to win an election, empty promises that don't stand up to the light of day," Mr Ahern told a gathering of the party faithful at Fianna Fail headquarters in Dublin.
If the voters return Fianna Fail to government, he pledged to use Ireland's "hard-won prosperity" to make progress that will affect the lives of every person on this island.
Mr Ahern said in government his party would raise pensions to over €300 a week, increase investments in schools, health and transport and put 2000 extra gardaí on the beat.
He said there was a choice facing the electorate between "building on the progress of the last ten years, or taking a risk with unproven leadership and uncosted promises."
Two opinion polls published in today's newspapers suggested the two coalition options led by Mr Ahern and Mr Kenny were running neck and neck ahead of Thursday's polling day.
The Red C study in the Sunday Business Post, which was taken on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, shows Fianna Fáil up one at 36 per cent compared with last weekend, while Fine Gael drops two to 27 per cent.
The Labour Party and the Progressive Democrats both slip one to 11 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. The Greens are up two to 8 per cent while Sinn Fein enjoys the biggest rise - up three to 10 per cent.
Meanwhile the Millward Brown/IMS poll for the Sunday Independent, which was taken on Monday and Tuesday, puts Fianna Fáil up two points to 37 per cent compared with the last study published 10 days ago.
Fine Gael and Labour are both down one to 25 per cent and 12 per cent respectively while the PDs are unchanged at 3 per cent.
