Election watch: Harris admits Children's Hospital comment was 'pedantic', McDonald attacks Fine Gael

James Cox

Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

Debate fallout

With just over a week to go in the general election campaign, Monday's leaders debate was a bit of a non-event.

With 10 party leaders taking part on RTÉ, moments of substance were limited.

Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin cooled down the election warfare between their parties, as they attempted to present themselves as the best alternative to a left-wing government.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was on the attack, although her performance wasn't as energetic as we have seen in past debates.

Mr Harris and Mr Martin accused her party of intentionally scheduling their manifesto release for the morning after the debate.

One standout moment saw Mr Harris looking to evade blame over issues with the National Children's Hospital.

Host Katie Hannon pointed out that he "personally signed the contract that brought us the Children's Hospital saga" during his time as health minister.

Mr Harris responded, "well of course I didn't, but continue". When Ms Hannon pointed out he was ultimately responsible for the contract, as health minister at the time, Mr Harris replied: "The Government of Ireland made a decision to build the National Children’s Hospital and I was a part of the Government.”

In response to criticism about the comments, Mr Harris told Newstalk that he was “unnecessarily pedantic and semantic” in his answer.

He added: “The buck stops with me in relation to the National Children’s Hospital, let me be very clear about that. The point I was trying to make is [that] there's sometimes comments that are a little flippant, like one person signed off on the contract.

“The point I'm making is these things go through a very deliberative process. Lots of departments look at them; lots of bean counters - and I don't mean that disrespectfully - in different departments.

“There's a board, a National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, and then the Minister of the day, in this case was me, would bring a proposal to cabinet rather than sign a contract.

“That kind of missed the point, though.”

Mary Lou goes on the attack against Fine Gael

With the early stages of general election campaigning dominated by exchanges between former coaition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin seemed very quiet.

However, Mary Lou McDonald is now firmly on the offensive.

She defended her party’s spending plans in the face of claims from Fine Gael that Sinn Féin was effectively proposing a “heist” on billions of euro set aside by the current Government in longer term rainy day funds.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has claimed the opposition party’s manifesto lays out a “damaging cocktail” of tax and spend policies.

Sinn Féin has denied it will use €16 billion set aside in the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, and has insisted it will actually save a further €15 billion in rainy day funds by running budget surpluses across the five years of the next government term.

Ms McDonald responded to the criticism of her rivals as she canvassed in west Dublin on Wednesday.

“Fine Gael have been in government and in alliance with the party that literally crashed the Irish economy,” she said of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

“They seem to have very short memories, and they seem to be unable to actually read accurately the Sinn Féin proposal.

“We are proposing ambitious and very necessary investment in fundamental infrastructure, including housing, that we need as a society and as an economy to build our prosperity.

“In the absence of the type of investment that we are proposing, there will be a social price to be paid, and there will be an economic price to be paid.

“Our plan will return surpluses year-on-year for the five years of government, amounting to €15 billion.

“Those will be set aside and invested in the funds for a rainy day, because that is an important thing to do.

“But Fine Gael need to wake up and smell the coffee. It’s raining now for so many families and for so many communities, and they cannot tolerate or be asked to wait and wait and wait while so many of their basic needs aren’t being met.

“And, by the way, in terms of investment into Ireland, the most consistent issue that is raised by investors, large and small, is the question of accommodation and housing.

“Fine Gael should know that, if they are serious about growing investment and maintaining stability in our economy and then, crucially, across our society.”

Fianna Fáil pledges safer Dublin as party targets justice portfolio

Dublin would be safer with a Fianna Fáil minister for justice, senior party figures have suggested.

The party’s justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan said work needed to be done to tackle the feeling that the capital is not safe at certain times.

Mr O’Callaghan said the party would introduce 1,000 more gardaí in the city, adding: “We want to make Dublin safer.”

Several Fianna Fáil representatives, including deputy leader and Finance Minister Jack Chambers as well as Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien, gathered at Sandymount Strand to launch the party’s Dublin-centred policy document for the general election.

Asked if Fianna Fáil would be willing to sacrifice the housing portfolio for justice, Mr O’Brien told reporters: “We want both.”

He added: “On justice, like Jim has outlined it here: People in many parts of Dublin, particularly at night, don’t feel safe in the centre of our city.

“That needs to change – and with Fianna Fáil, that will change.”

Aontú launches manifesto

Aontú leader Peader Tóibín was one of the few leaders who received praise after Monday's debate.

The former Sinn Féin member has now launched his party's manifesto.

Cheaper pints, a new border agency and a junior minister for waste feature in Aontú’s election pledges.

Aontú, which describes its document as a “common-sense manifesto” focused on accountability, would establish a new junior minister to tackle waste in public spending.

Mr Tóibín emphasised a series of controversies around public spending, including spiralling costs of the national children’s hospital, the €336,000 bike shed at Leinster House, and the €1.4 million security hut at Government Buildings.

He said a Taoiseach “who wasted so much money” would have been fired if they were in the private sector.

It said the new junior minister would have direct responsibility for “eradicating waste” in the public sector.

Abroad

In the UK, thousands of farmers have been protesting at the British Parliament over the Labour government's plans for inheritance tax reform.

Meanwhile, Russia’s air defence systems have shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles. The Kremlin has claimed this represents UK involvement in the UK war.

In the US, president-elect Donald Trump's controversial pick of Matt Gaetz as attorney general has been thwarted.

Mr Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Mr Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that he could face resistance from members of his own party.

Mr Gaetz’s announcement came days after an attorney for two women said that his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that he paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Mr Gaetz was a Florida congressman.

He resigned from the House after Mr Trump announced he would nominate him for the Cabinet.

One of the women testified she saw Mr Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard.