Fianna Fáil has demanded that Fine Gael and Labour reveal details of what they would do in government, accusing them of deliberately refusing to do so to conceal their differences.
Two senior Ministers and a Minister of State yesterday devoted all of their party's pre-ardfheis press conference to attacking Fine Gael and Labour for offering "no policies, no plans and no programme".
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen said the Opposition's silence ensured there could be no real debate between the Coalition and the parties claiming to represent an alternative. "We are being told there is a ready-made alternative," said Mr Cowen, "but we don't have joint positions or individual positions" from either.
"They are just putting forward platitudes such as 'courage', 'leadership' and 'integrity'," he went on. "We don't see any alternative policy positions that we can debate with the Opposition."
This was because there were policy differences between Fine Gael and Labour on taxation, the sale of Aer Lingus and other issues. "They don't want to put out policies until three weeks before the election."
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said Labour had "refused to publish a comprehensive policy on education that shows how they will pay for their many disconnected promises, and the choices that they will make between different demands".
Minister of State Brian Lenihan also demanded that the alternative government parties make it clear what they stand for.
Mr Cowen said that in choosing to whom to give the responsibility of government, the public had a right to expect parties to set out exactly how they differed in terms of records and policies. Fianna Fáil was willing to set out its record and policies and to defend them.
"The problem is there can be no debate of ideas and alternatives if the self-declared alternative government consistently refuses to explain what they propose to do if elected."