Outgoing Coalition Fractures Deepen as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Trade Barbs on Campaign Trail
As we move a week and a half into the 2024 General Election campaign, the two largest parties in government—recently coalition partners—are now locked in fierce competition, each vying for a strong electoral mandate. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael both launched their manifestos this week, and it didn’t take long for them to start taking sharp aim at each other’s policies. Both parties are now working to carve out distinct identities as they race to win the public’s support.
Economic Policies
Tensions began with Fine Gael’s Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, criticising Fianna Fáil’s economic proposals, describing them as “full of bizarre costings.” She pointed specifically to the €3 billion in tax compliance and efficiency savings cited in Fianna Fáil’s manifesto, calling it “ten times the actual figure in the latest Budget” and questioning the party’s economic credibility.
Responding to McEntee’s remarks, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin expressed surprise, suggesting that McEntee “clearly hadn’t read the manifesto” and calling her comments “inaccurate.” In a media statement from Drogheda, Martin advised Fine Gael’s campaign team to “calm down” and focus on constructive discussion. Speaking later on the *Indo Daily* podcast, he expressed dismay over Fine Gael’s attacks on his party and questioned why Fine Gael wasn’t directing its scrutiny towards Sinn Féin’s policies instead. He even hinted at a truce between the two parties.
Money Ministers at Odds
Fine Gael’s Public Expenditure Minister, Paschal Donohoe, joined the fray, releasing a statement in which he claimed that Fianna Fáil’s manifesto costings “leave a lot to be desired,” citing figures he believed were inflated and poorly explained.
Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers seized the moment following the launch of Fine Gael’s manifesto, issuing a statement on his party’s website in which he welcomed Fine Gael’s “late” publication of their manifesto. However, he argued that it raised “very serious issues which need to be explained.” Chambers particularly highlighted Fine Gael’s proposed €17.2 billion allocation for maintaining public services, including public sector pay and contingencies. Contrasting it with Fianna Fáil’s €20 billion proposal, he argued that Fine Gael’s budget would effectively necessitate a “public sector pay freeze.”
Justice
Justice has become another flashpoint in the campaign, with sharp exchanges between the two parties. During an *RTÉ Prime Time* debate on Thursday, November 11, Fianna Fáil’s Justice Spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan claimed much of the Department of Justice’s legislation and policy framework stemmed from his input.
McEntee, responding to O’Callaghan, pointed out that he had declined an offer to serve as a Junior Minister in the Department of Justice. The next day, she commented to the media, saying, “Women all over the country understand what it’s like when men try to claim credit for their work.” Fine Gael party leader, Simon Harris defended McEntee, describing her as “a very smart, savvy, and able politician” who “doesn’t need to take anyone else’s ideas.”
Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea escalated the dispute further by posting a video on X (formerly Twitter) in which he claimed McEntee is “the worst Minister for Justice in the history of the state.” His comments came less than a year after he voted in confidence of McEntee, following a no-confidence motion filed by Sinn Féin over her handling of the Dublin Riots.
Opposition’s Response
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald weighed in whilst speaking to the media in Roscommon on Saturday, remarking that the public sees through what she called a “sham battle” between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. She likened the exchanges to “a childhood game of Cowboys and Indians—dramatic but not based in reality.” Ms McDonald also noted that the two parties have governed together for a decade in various configurations and implied they would likely join forces again post-election.