Simon Harris has said policy differences are “emerging” between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael after his party was accused of launching “damaging” attacks.
Micheál Martin said he was surprised by “the tone and nature” of the attacks made by Fine Gael on his party’s proposals in recent days.
The Fianna Fáil leader said he does not understand the strategy by his former coalition partners and Civil War-era foes Fine Gael and said “it could be damaging”.
“People who want to vote centre-ground parties in will be saying ‘what are they at’?” he told the Irish Independent’s podcast on Thursday.
“As a strategist myself, I do not believe this makes sense.”
Mr Martin added: “Fine Gael seem to be strategically deciding to target Fianna Fáil more than targeting Sinn Féin. That’s the bit I don’t get and a lot of voters won’t get that either.”
Responding to those comments, Fine Gael leader Mr Harris accused Mr Martin of “giving out about being attacked whilst then attacking”.
“This election is about, I think, big, exciting ideas for the future of our country and I think the fact that we are debating them is good.
“A few days ago, perhaps media would have been asserting ‘is there any difference in policy?’. Now, actually, there are policy differences emerging.
“I have my own style of politics – and I think even my political opponents would acknowledge this – is always to engage in a policy debate rather than any sort of personality contest.”
The two main coalition parties have been publicly criticising each other’s policies since the Dáil was dissolved on Friday.
Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe released a statement on Tuesday criticising Fianna Fáil’s manifesto as leaving “a lot to be desired”.
On Virgin Media’s Tonight Show, Fianna Fáil minister Jack Chambers and Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton both called each other “disingenuous” in a debate on policy proposals.
The parties have moved to differentiate themselves from one another in the first few days of the election campaign.
Fianna Fáil’s proposal to decriminalise cannabis has come under fire from Fine Gael, with Mr Harris saying there are “real health dangers in relation to cannabis”.
Fine Gael’s proposal to introduce an 11 per cent VAT rate for food-related businesses has been criticised by Fianna Fáil as “regressive”, arguing that it would mean the tax on energy would have to increase.
Mr Harris said: “We’re having a debate around ideas and policies.
“I hope we’re having a respectful debate.
“When we launched a plan for small businesses, I don’t think we were out of the room before there were people in Fianna Fáil doing off-the-record briefings in relation to that.
“I want to debate the policies here. I want to debate the policies respectfully.
“I’ve worked well with Fianna Fáil, I have respect for the leader of the Fianna Fáil, I’m proud of what we’ve all achieved together over the last four-and-a-half years.
“But I also want to really debate ideas.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Mr Harris of being “pretty intent on stealing Sinn Féin’s ideas”, and that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had “sought to steal our clothes and then botched the implementation” of its policies.
To this, Mr Harris later said “Deputy McDonald can keep her policies”.
Sinn Féin has also accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of putting on “a sham row” for the cameras when there is not “the width of a credit card” between the two parties, forged out of opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War.
