Patrick Costello and Roderic O'Gorman of the Green Party

Final weekend of canvassing ahead of General Election

· RTE.ie

Campaigning in the General Election is continuing, with parties launching a range of policy proposals.

Fianna Fáil is pledging to boost funding for sports clubs in an effort to increase participation by people with disabilities.

The party's plan includes a promise to introduce a tax credit on gym membership.

It said it will increase the betting tax levy from 2% to 3% to fund the building of sports infrastructure.

Party leader Micheál Martin is out west, where he is spending the day hitting the campaign trail across the Roscommon-Galway and Mayo constituencies.

Speaking in Castlebar, he refused to give a reaction to opinion poll results, reiterating his stance that the only poll that matters is on election day.

The most recent opinion poll, published by the Sunday Independent, suggests a fall in support for Fine Gael to 22%, with Fianna Fáil unchanged on 20% and Sinn Féin rising to 20%.

Fine Gael's Simon Harris and former party leader Enda Kenny

Fine Gael leader Simon Harris attended a rally at Knock Airport in Mayo with the party's four constituency candidates and former taoiseach Enda Kenny.

The former Fine Gael leader said Mr Harris showed "humility and understanding" in apologising to the woman in Kanturk for their interaction in a supermarket last Friday.

In a rousing speech, Mr Kenny also said the current Fine Gael leader is a man of "wonderful credibility" who has the ability to listen.


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Meanwhile, the Green Party set out one of the party's red lines on the LUAS red line in Dublin - continued investment in public transport.

Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said a €10bn investment in public transport over the lifetime of the next Government is a red line issue for his party.

Sinn Féin's front bench gathered for a meeting at CHQ in the capital to finalise plans for the remaining days of the General Election campaign before voters go to the polls on Friday 29 November.

Speaking to the media, party leader Mary Lou McDonald defended Sinn Féin's affordable housing policy, following a report in the Business Post that the party "overstated" the willingness of banks to lend for the scheme.

Ms McDonald said that her party's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin and finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty met with banks on several occasions and were told about the bank's requirements.

Ms McDonald said that she was "absolutely confident" that her party will meet those requirements.

Later this afternoon Ms McDonald will canvas with her party's candidates in Fingal East and Fingal West.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik flanked by Senator Marie Sherlock and Cllr Darragh Moriarty

Labour launched their Children Right's Charter in Dublin, with party leader Ivana Bacik saying that the party wanted to bring about changes to help families facing addiction, and for children with special needs who can't currently access needed supports and special education.

In terms of who they might go into coalition with if that is an option after the election, Ms Bacik said very few people had predicted the outcome of the 2020 election.

She said it was important that any such parties would share Labour's mission and its values.

Elsewhere Aontú leader Peadar Toibín is campaigning in Cavan, where the party is targeting a seat.

Reporting by Mícheál Lehane, Tommy Meskill, Samantha Libreri, Evelyn O'Rourke, Marc O'Driscoll, Eleanor Burnhill