MINISTER FOR FINANCE Paschal Donohoe has accused Sinn Féin of proposing policies that would “scorch the economy”.

“You can trust Fine Gael with the economy… Sinn Féin will drive the economy off the side off a cliff, and Fianna Fáil will sit in the back like a nodding dog until the collision happens,” Donohoe said.

All three of the above parties were accused by the Greens of “sprinkling magic” in their manifestos: “You can’t cut taxes and increase services for people”.

Donohoe, Pearse Doherty (Sinn Féin), Michael McGrath (Fianna Fáil), Nessa Hourihan (Green Party) and Denis Naughten (Independent) appeared on Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra today.

Donohoe accused Sinn Féin of increasing taxes on businesses, that would scare off companies that create employment.

Doherty rejected this, calling it “scaremongering” against Sinn Féin.

Doherty said that his party would help improve the environment businesses operate in. “We are the party that would take on the vested interests, the rip off that businesses are feeling”, and that is the insurance industry, Doherty said.

Doherty said that economist Seamus Coffey analysed their policies laid out in their manifesto, while Donohoe said that Coffey had said that we should be “growing surpluses”.

He accused Sinn Féin of spending a Budget Day package of €22 billion, “when the Department of Finance guidance says it should be around €11 billion”, Donohoe suggested.

He also accused them of introducing 15 new taxes “which would be bad for businesses”, and said that any jobs created “would be created abroad” because businesses will move. 

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil said that they are against a wealth tax, and Sinn Féin said it would be in favour of one “based on the ESRI model”.