Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

Since 1970, Fine Gael and the Labour Party have governed together for 12 years out of the 35. There have been just five years when real income per head in Ireland fell. In every one of those periods Fine Gael and the Labour Party were in government together. Fine Gael and the Labour Party equal slump. That is the fundamental equation of Irish politics. Anybody with any memory knows that Fine Gael and the Labour Party together form a slump coalition.

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