Deadlock looms as election campaign comes to a close

The election campaign is limping to the finish line after a fairly tepid few weeks.

There has been no major surge for any party and equally, no collapse in support although Fine Gael has certainly lost ground.

Indeed, three separate opinion polls put the three main parties neck and neck on around 20%.

Deadlock looms.

With party leaders making a final push today, what have been their key messages?

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin has made an appeal to its non-core voters. Its message is that if you want change, then you must back them with Mary Lou McDonald saying "lend us your vote".

But political watchers have also noted that Sinn Féin has, for the first time, backed the "vote left transfer left" strategy.

She asked people to also vote for "like minded parties" she described as left-wing and progressive citing the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and left-leaning independents.

Notably, she omitted Labour.

Her party is also pushing a narrative that it feels it has momentum in this final stretch.

Fianna Fáil

Micheál Martin was in Wicklow and the new Wicklow-Wexford constituency underlining the importance of retaining Stephen Donnelly's seat in a tight contest, plus the need for a win for Senator Malcolm Byrne in the new three-seater.

He has also been underlining the importance of transfers in an extremely tight contest.

"It's very competitive. It is fragmented. There's lots of candidates in every constituency."

He said that he has been advising his candidates, not just to campaign for the number ones, but also for lower preferences.

And while publicly, Mr Martin never comments on polls, privately many in Fianna Fáil are buoyed by the finding in the Business Post / Red C poll that it is more transfer friendly than Fine Gael or Sinn Féin.

Finance Minister Jack Chambers also pushed back on Sinn Féin’s entreaty for people to lend it their votes.

He posted on social media that this would undermine Ireland’s economic model and would lead to reckless spending and higher taxes.

Fine Gael

Simon Harris has been in several constituencies again today including campaigning for Noel Rock in Dublin North-West where the former TD is in a battle with Fianna Fáil’s Paul McAuliffe.

He repeated his view that the next Government should not be larger than three parties as it would become too unwieldy.

Fine Gael has also deployed Paschal Donohoe widely to emphasise its message that it can be trusted to manage the economy and to warn against Sinn Féin.

This strategy has been dubbed Project Fear by some of the other parties. While Sinn Féin has accused both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of "deeply dishonest scaremongering".

Labour

Labour leader Ivana Bacik restated her position on a left-wing negotiating bloc coming together after the election before talking to the larger parties.

This stance has been endorsed by the Green Party but rebuffed by the Social Democrats which has calculated that its electoral chances are stronger without any whiff of Labour.

Ivana Bacik also said the reason why the general election has not grabbed the public’s attention is because the three main parties have not presented a convincing vision.

Green Party

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman argued today that the political deadlock means that smaller parties will be pivotal to Government formation.

And he warned that people need to consider whether they want progressive policies or parties on the right.

He urged voters to "stick with" the party when they go to the polls.

"Do you want a progressive party like the Green Party that shows it delivered on its priorities and created stability or do you want parties that will bring us to the right."

Social Democrats

The final campaign event for the Social Democrats was held by Dublin Central candidate Gary Gannon on O’Connell Street.

He insisted there is momentum for the party as people get ready to cast their votes in the General Election tomorrow.

He reinforced his party’s key message that public services must be paid for through taxation.

And he encouraged supporters to give transfers to other left parties including Labour, Sinn Féin and People Before Profit.

People Before Profit

People Before Profit held a media event where party leader Richard Boyd Barrett warned left-wing parties about potential coalition partners.

He urged them not to make the "mistake of the past" by propping up Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in government.

"Another Ireland is possible. The first left government in the history of the State is possible but don't make the mistake of propping up Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael again because that will destroy this historic opportunity for change."

Aontú

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín spent spent his final day on the campaign trail canvassing in Dublin West and highlighting his parties cost of living policies.

Mr Tóibín said his party's cost of living policies include a new scheme to ensure mothers and their children have access to fresh food, milk and vitamins until their children are four years old.

He also said Aontú has helped to highlight public spending waste issues in recent months, and that in his view, his party will be "challenging the government for seats in at least 10 constituencies".