The election campaign hotted up yesterday with an on-street verbal brawl between the PD leader, Michael McDowell, and the Green Party chairman, John Gormley, while the Fine Gael and Labour leaders attacked the Government over waste and the Taoiseach defended his record and cited the endorsement of foreign political leaders, write Stephen Collinsand Deaglán de Bréadún.
Last night, an RTÉ television debate involving the leaders of Labour, the PDs, Greens and Sinn Féin saw robust exchages on a range of policies including the economy, health, crime and immigration.
Mr McDowell clashed with Gerry Adams describing the Sinn Féin leader's claim that he lived on the average industrial wage as "fraudulent nonsense". The Tánaiste also dismissed Mr Adams's concerns on drugs, saying that as a member of the army council of the IRA he had been involved in selling "Provo know-how" for $25 million to Colombian narco-terrorists.
Earlier the 20-minute street row between Mr McDowell and Mr Gormley erupted near the home of the Tánaiste in Ranelagh, Dublin as he attempted to repeat a stunt from the last election by climbing a lamp-post to unveil a new poster.
Mr Gormley heckled continuously as his fellow Dublin South East TD attempted to make a speech on the theme of his poster message: "Left-Wing Government? - No Thanks." "You say that we're going to raise corporation tax. That is a lie. Withdraw that," shouted Mr Gormley. "I'm not taking any nonsense from you any more," he added.
Mr McDowell responded by saying that Mr Gormley had "lost it". The argument raged as the Green TD insisted that Mr McDowell withdraw claims he had made about his party's policies.
As the argument came to a close Fine Gael candidate Lucinda Creighton appeared on the scene and put up a poster of her own with the message: "Single Party Government. Yes. Thanks to the PDs."
"A vote to make Enda Kenny taoiseach is a vote to make Pat Rabbitte finance minister and to make Trevor Sargent environment minister," said Mr McDowell. "Vote Fine Gael, get Pat Rabbitte as finance minister. Vote Fine Gael, get Trevor Sargent as environment minister. Vote Fine Gael, get a three-party coalition with the left in the saddle. You can't have one without the others," he said.
Earlier, Fianna Fáil showed journalists a party political broadcast which was aired last night. It featured endorsements from Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and George Mitchell who praised the Taoiseach's role in the peace process.
Labour's environment spokesman, Eamon Gilmore, said the Irish people valued their independence. "I don't think they are going to be greatly influenced by valedictory comments of other political leaders who have left office or are going out of office." The Labour Party and the majority of voters were now looking to the future, not to the past he said.
The comments were echoed by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny who said Fianna Fáil was entitled to use any figureheads or personalities it wanted in its party broadcasts.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the alternative alliance, Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte, both committed themselves to sacking ministers who waste public money. Mr Kenny went to Government Buildings to announce the results of an online poll conducted by Fine Gael which showed that Martin Cullen and Dick Roche were the Ministers the public wanted sacked.
Both Ministers dismissed what they described as a stunt.