Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe has said Friday’s general election matters economically “like no other in my lifetime”.
Mr Donohoe, Minister for Public Expenditure, was speaking to reporters outside Microsoft’s offices in Dublin as his party seeks to refocus voters on the economy in the run-in to Friday’s vote.
“Economically, this election matters like no other in my lifetime,” he said. “We are seeing instability grow across the world, we are at a time of wars, we are at a time at which the consensus on trade and tax is changing.”
He said investment in public services could only happen with safe public finances and in an economy that was stable.
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“What kind of Government do we want when the costs and risks of (economic) instability are growing,” he said.
Asked about reports that Fine Gael had contacted RTÉ about the framing of a controversial clip of Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Charlotte Fallon, a care worker in Kanturk, Mr Donohoe said any contact his party had with any broadcaster “has been appropriate”.
He said any contact would be in line with what happens normally, and sought to redirect fire against Sinn Féin and its record with the media, including taking libel actions and a manifesto pledge to review RTÉ's coverage of the Gaza conflict.
“My party and I have never threatened to sue any journalist, we’ve never threatened to review the impartiality of any journalist or broadcaster,” he said, adding that exchanges happen between journalists, outlets and political parties “all the time”.
He argued that Mr Harris “cares deeply” about disability services. “I’ve never seen anybody who cares more about these issues than he does.”
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