The Government has seriously misjudged the mood of the electorate, according to the Social Democrats. The party yesterday launched a final attempt to put an end to “auction politics”.

Dublin North-West TD Róisín Shortall said the party was fielding 14 candidates and was eager to have at least half of them elected.

“They [the Government] got off to a very bad start. They thought it was just a matter of saying they’ll keep the recovery going, and most people were saying, what recovery, they hadn’t felt it,” she said.

“They also thought people just wanted tax cuts, and again they misjudged the public mood in that regard.”

North Kildare TD Catherine Murphy said the Social Democrats had been well received on the doorsteps.

She said there was disillusionment with auction politics, and there were thousands who will not benefit from a cut to the universal social charge. She said that her party was eager to assist those people and reduce the cost of childcare and abolish water charges.