Daily Fix: Saturday

Today we’ve heard promises on crime fighting, cutting 145 state bodies and companies, and further arguments between Fine Gael and Labour over their economic policies.

EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you your Daily Fix: our pick of the highlights (and some of the lows) of the day’s campaign trail.

GOOD DAY FOR:

Micheál Martin and Eamon Gilmore, who are each now most associated with the world ‘leader’ according to TheJournal.ie‘s Twitter Tracker. (Although it should be pointed out there have been very few party leader-related tweets today.) Gerry Adams, according to the tracker, is now most associated with the world ‘formally’.
Fighting crime, according to Fianna Fáil. The party’s spokesperson on justice John Curran has said the party will “continue to be the leading Irish political party in the fight against crime”. No images of cape-clad candidates have been released.
Sinn Féin’s position on the IMF/EU bailout, the party says. Sinn Féin’s Martin Ferris says there is a growing level of support from international and national experts for their position on burning the bondholders and sparing the Irish public.

BAD DAY FOR:

Relations between Fine Gael and Labour, as the latter continues to criticise the former’s economic policies. After Michael Noonan said that Labour’s manifesto would slow economic recovery and damage job creation, Labour’s Joan Burton said that Fine Gael MEPs supported a similar levy suggested in her party’s manifesto. Noonan said that a levy on international financial transactions could cost thousands of jobs, but Burton claimed his party’s MEPs supported proposals for the introduction of such a levy last October.
Romance, as Micheál Martin says his party does not support holding a referendum on same-sex marriage.

CAMPAIGN SLOGAN STRETCH OF THE DAY

“Quango-ing… Going… Gone”: Fine Gael’s description of its plan to cut 145 state bodies and companies if elected to government.

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