Fine Gael’s Director of Elections has said that combined support of 43-44% in the general election will be sufficient to re-elect the Fine Gael and Labour Coalition.

Speaking to RTÉ on this weekend’s European Parliament Report programme, MEP Brian Hayes indicated that if the Government does not get sufficient numbers, he would favour talking to "like-minded independents" about forming a new coalition. He ruled out doing business with Fianna Fáil.

He predicts a moment about a week from polling day when people will ask themselves: "Are we going to stick with the current Government or go in a direction where there is no certainty?"

"Fine Gael and Labour will need to be on about 40% going into the campaign and we are not a million miles away from that right now.

"If we are on 40% I think we have the capacity with a good positive campaign to actually put on a few more percentage points. On about 43-44% the current government can be re-elected.

"The critical issue will be about the stability of the country. People will look at what is the best combination of parties that will keep the recovery going. People are not stupid."

In a studio debate with fellow MEP Matt Carthy, Hayes said Sinn Féin has been "dreadfully wrong" on the big macro-economic arguments over the past five years.

"They said we would need a second bailout. They were wrong about that. They said we’d need an emergency budget each year. They were wrong about that. They said that unemployment would go up and there would be no growth. They were wrong about that.

"And even on the promissory note, they said that there would be no savings but within two weeks they were spending the very savings that Michael Noonan negotiated in Brussels as part of their pre-budget submission. On all the big macro-economic questions Sinn Féin are not a serious party. I think the recent issue of Mr 'Slab' Murphy in the Special Criminal Court go to this very murky and very dodgy aspect of politics."

Carthy argued that: "The reality is that as a result of the unfair measures being introduced by this government half a million of our young people are spread right across the globe."

He said his party wants to put forward a sustainable economic programme for the future and added: "What we currently have in terms of the promises on USC and or other promises, is straight out of the Charlie McCreevy playbook where he said ‘When I have it, I’ll spend it’ with no thought beyond the next election."

Asked about a seat prediction, the Sinn Féin Director of Elections said: "We are standing 50 candidates across 40 constituencies and they are all fighting to win a seat. We have currently 14 seats and anything above that is a successful election. We want to provide an alternative to the chaos that we have in place under the current Government.”

Carthy rejects the view that there is no coherent alternative government and said: "We now have the possibility of a progressive republican government led by Sinn Féin."

He said that ordinary working families would be better off under a Sinn Féin government that would bring an end to the boom-bust politics that "have been the hallmark of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil governments".

Carthy says Sinn Féin has very credible positions in terms of addressing the chaos in our health service, the homeless crisis and "all the issues that Fine Gael and Labour have abandoned".

But Hayes added: "Had we followed Sinn Féin’s prescription five years ago, led by Mr Adams, we would have 30 years of austerity and we would still be in a financial aid programme right now.

"So Sinn Féin, up until recently have been talking about austerity. Now they are not talking about austerity because they realise the country has turned the corner."

By Conor McMorrow, RTÉ's Political Staff