A senior Fianna Fáil minister has accused Sinn Féin of risking a financial crisis if the party were to come to power.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien launched a scathing critique of Sinn Féin’s housing policy, claiming it has a €6.1bn shortfall.

He also took aim at the party’s broader economic approach, accusing Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty, of being "complacent" about the economy and putting billions of euros in jeopardy with their election promises.

Sinn Féin’s alternative housing proposal includes plans to provide affordable homes for eligible buyers at prices between €250,000 and €300,000, with the State retaining ownership of the land.

However, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have raised concerns about whether banks will offer mortgages for properties where the land is not privately owned.

O’Brien argued that Sinn Féin’s housing plan has “gaping holes” and needed to be “called out,” adding, “Sinn Féin could blow the economy up. Unquestionably.”

In response, Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin fired back, reminding O'Brien that it was Fianna Fáil, along with Fine Gael, that "drove the economy off the cliff" during the last financial crisis.

Ó Broin pointed out the lasting impact of austerity policies, which forced many young people to emigrate.

"We’ll take no lectures from Fianna Fáil," he said, referring to the hardships caused by the party's previous role in government.

Photo: Darragh O'Brien. (Pic: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie)