'Working hard for you and your family': Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil ads show lots of repetition

James Cox

Analysis of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's social media advertisements for the general election shows a lot of repetition when it comes to issues and slogans.

With the general election now confirmed for November 29th, Fine Gael has published 180 paid ads this month in comparison to 560 Fianna Fáil ads.

Analysis from Damien Mulley of Mulley communications, shared with BreakingNews.ie, shows Fine Gael has honed in on what the party can do for 'you and your family', while Fianna Fáil has promised 'delivery' on a number of issues.

Fine Gael's ads were all identical with two versions of a similar message: "[Candidate's Name] has been working hard for you and your family. Vote No.1 [Candidate's Name]", and "[Candidate's Name] knows the issues that matter most to you and your family. Vote No.1 [Candidate's Name]".

The majority of Fianna Fáil candidates promised 'delivery' on housing and cost of living.

The other issues mentioned in Fianna Fáil adverts are healthcare, childcare, crime prevention/safer communities, public transport, just transition, and supporting local businesses/farm families.

Fine Gael's cheapest ad cost between €100 and €199, while the most expensive was between €1,500 and €2,000. Fianna Fáil's cheapest ad was less than €100, and the most expensive was between €800 and €899.

With the election just over two weeks away, social media is likely to be a key battleground as much as in-person canvassing.

While the coalition finished its time in power on relatively good terms, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party have been taking aim at each other just days into the campaign.

Fine Gael has been surrounded by scandal after Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary made a joke about teachers at an event for Minister for Enterprise and Fine Gael candidate Peter Burke.

While the party, including Taoiseach Simon Harris, has come out to distance itself from Mr O'Leary's comments, other parties have claimed it shows a lack of respect for teachers.

Meanwhile, Minister for Justice and Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee has criticised Fianna Fáil's manifesto.

She said it is "full of uncosted promises but contains so little substance". 

“It’s quite remarkable that after spending the last five years in Government, Fianna Fáil has today produced a manifesto that contains so little substance.

“The Fianna Fáil document is riddled with promises that are so incredibly vague – which is disappointing for a party that claims it wants to lead the next Government.

“The lack of detail in the manifesto is nearly as extraordinary as the fact that the document is full of bizarre costings. For example, Fianna Fáil claims it will generate savings of €3 billion from ‘tax compliances and efficiencies.’ That’s ten times the actual figure in the latest Budget.

“How exactly did the party arrive at that costing? This is the type of back-of-the-matchbox-style politics that really could set Ireland backwards and scupper the economic progress that we have made in recent years.”