Accusations and gaffes from main parties as campaigning ends in confusion

The last few days of campaigning in the Irish general election have ended in chaos as parties have jockeyed for the last few votes.

The Irish Independent reports that Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has hinted he may be prepared to go into government with Bertie Ahern to keep Fianna Fáil from relying on Sinn Féin's support in power. Until the results are out however, Labour is formally committed to its coalition deal with Fine Gael.

And yesterday was a bad day for Bertie Ahern and Fianna Fáil as Ahern admitted his claims on Fine Gael tax policies were incorrect and was found quoting different figures to other FF ministers on the cost to the taxpayer of 'co-locating' private hospitals on the grounds of public hospitals.

Ahern was also adamant that he would not form a government with Sinn Féin but the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, while also ruling out a deal, said that Fianna Fáil could form a minority government if Sinn Féin gave it unsolicited support. Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness however said he had "no doubt" that the Taoiseach would seek Sinn Féin's support to form a coalition government if the election resulted in a hung Dáil.

And the Labour Party today admitted that mystery surrounded the appearance of an election poster for its Galway West candidate TD Michael D Higgins in the main street of Quimper in Brittany.

However the story on the BBC website shows the different side to the Celtic Tiger from the stories of new town centre shopping developments. The report says not everyone is benefitting and in Laytown north of Dublin there are no facilities for youngsters in the run-down withthe steel doors of a disused library firmly shut, covered in graffiti. There has been massive housing development for commuters forced out of Dublin by rising costs, but it has brought only rapidly-constructed houses in what were recently fields, with no community centre or built leisure or social facilities. No new school has been built, meaning children starting at Laytown primary school last year came to class in shifts, some starting in the morning, with others in the afternoon.

The new government needs an injection of social responsibility and the prioritisation of public services to support the communities the Celtic Tiger is neglecting. Whichever of the main parties is elected, it is likely to require a coalition partner to ensure its accepts the responsibility of a social agenda.