The Tánaiste warned Ireland tonight against voting in to power what he called a "slump coalition" in the upcoming election, in his first opening address to the Progressive Democrats party conference as leader.
Speaking in Wexford, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell said a coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and the Green party, supported by Independent candidates would lead to a divided government on issues ranging from European defence to immigration policy and the citizenship issue.
Mr McDowell also claimed that in the last 35 years of government there had only been four occasions when income per head had decrease in the State. Each of those incidences, he said, which were in 1975, 1982, 1983 and 1985, were during years when Fine Gael and Labour were in power.
Mr McDowell particularly criticised any would-be coalition between the three opposition parties over disagreement on isssues such as the motorways and roadways development as outlinesd under the Transport 21 remit. He asked delegates to imagine Green party leader Mr Trevor Sergeant as Minister for the Environment or Minister for Transport, saying he would be more like Minister for Ending the Motorway Programme.
He also criticised the Green party leader for lending his support to opposers of the Corrib gas field and highlighted the fact that Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had publicly supported plans for the development.
"For a country that is in severe danger of over dependence on imported energy, the immediate development of the Corrib Gas field is a strategic national objective.," he said. "A divided government on this issue would be a disaster and could have very serious effects on our future energy supplies".
Mr McDowell also implied that Labour's pre-election promise last weekend to reduce the lower income tax rate by 2% if elected, would not come to pass and accused the Labour leadership of "auction politics".
He said: "The lesson is simple: when the PDs are in government there have been tax cuts. When Labour has been in government there have not".
Mr McDowell reminded listeners of the Progressive Democrats' econimc record and said the current Government had delivered budget surpluses in nine out of the last 10 years.