The political parties have been accused of "fuelling cynicism about the electoral process "which could seriously damage democracy, in a strongly-worded joint statement by Sr Stanislaus Kennedy and Fr Peter McVerry.
They said that "the auction politics engaged in by political parties during the general election campaign can only be viewed as an exercise in self-interest. Many of the promises most emphasised are not the product of careful analysis of what would be good for Irish society as a whole.
"Rather, they are framed by the political parties so as to advance their own appeal to key sectors of the electorate. It is clear that they are not based on a concern for the common good."
They continued that "auction politics of this kind promotes only a 'selective good' - fostering self-interest among the electorate and fuelling cynicism about the electoral process. Ultimately, auction politics can seriously damage democracy."
Promises of cuts in taxation - whether in income tax, stamp duty or indirect taxes - have been central to this election campaign, they noted, while there have also been many commitments to improve public services.
They asked "how will it be possible to meet these commitments regarding public services while delivering on the promises to cut taxes?" They further asked "if, as predicted, economic growth in the coming years is lower than it has been, and promises to cut taxes are fulfilled by an incoming government, how can we expect to afford the desperately needed improvements in public services?"
Despite the Celtic Tiger, Ireland still falls far short of having a level of public, and specifically social, services "capable of responding to the extensive needs that exist in our divided society," they said.
Now was "a time for politicians especially to exercise principled leadership in relation to the kind of future we are creating. The critical question we face is whether we wish to tolerate the level of inequality that has for so long characterised Irish society," they said.
