Kicking the habit

George Hook addressed the Fine Gael party in Clare yesterday. The rugby pundit gave Ireland’s second largest parliamentary party a ‘searing’ dressing-room analysis. His motivational talk focused on winning.

‘Losing is a habit, like smoking,’ he told Enda Kenny’s followers. ‘You have to give up losing, one loss at a time.’

At a news conference later Mr Kenny said: ‘The point he was making was that, winners have belief, discipline, organisation and a clear message. Only one party in Ireland has those qualities.'

'I am going to be urging my party colleagues to write to Fianna Fail TDs, and offer to do an internship with them. One, two weeks, whatever. There's a lot to be said for going back to the drawing board. And let's face it, we have the time.'

Mullingar redivivus

Enda Kenny has broken his summer recess silence to suggest a two-term limit for Fianna Fail governments.

‘There’s no question of subverting the democratic process,’ the Mayo leader said. ‘The President isn’t allowed go for a third term. I see no good reason why this rule shouldn’t apply across the board.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has backed the Kenny idea. ‘It’s an issue that needs to be put to the people,’ he said. ‘At the very least an Oireachtas committee could be established to discuss it. Nothing whiles away the time like an Oireachtas committee.’