Kenny v Cowen heats up

Speaking at FG’s ardfheis at Citywest over the weekend party leader Enda Kenny had the following to say:

“I want to speak to you about my optimism for our people, about my confidence in the advantages we have and about my belief that with courage, fairness and decisiveness, we can point the way ahead to a new future, a fairer Ireland and a truly just society….I believe that Ireland can recover fully from this recession inside five years.’

‘These are our targets:
1. Create 100,000 new jobs by the end of 2013
2. Return the public finances to stability by 2012 – without increasing the standard and current top rates of income tax
3. Deliver a radical plan for renewable energy – pumped storage, wind, wave and biomass – that will meet a quarter of our energy needs by 2015, and make us net exporters of energy within 10 years.
4. Transform our education system so that 9 out of 10 children complete secondary school by 2013 and two thirds go onto third level.
5. Restore Ireland to the top five most competitive countries in the world within three years.
6. To continue to support the Lisbon Treaty.'



Taoiseach Brian Cowen, speaking at his own party’s conference (also in Citywest) on 1 March spelled out his take on the Ireland of the near future:

“I believe, and my government believes, that Ireland can recover fully from this recession inside of five years. We have six targets.
1. Create 100,000 new jobs by the end of 2013
2. Return the public finances to stability by 2012
3. Deliver a radical plan for renewable energy.
4. More of the same successful formula for our education system.
5. Restore Ireland to the top 5 most competitive countries in the world within three years.
6. To continue to support the Lisbon Treaty."

Icelandic Government meltdown

Taoiseach-in-waiting Enda Kenny was in ebullient form this afternoon with the news that Iceland's coalition government had collapsed. Mr Kenny managed to pun twice on the Icelandic PM's name.

That Taoiseach would 'want to get in Geir' if the same thing wasn't to happen to his government, Mr Kenny warned, before joking that there were 'Haarde decisions to be made.'

In a surprise move, the Icelandic Foreign Minister, who was recently tipped to succeed Mr Haarde, announced this afternoon a two month leave of absence.

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.’

Varadical analysis

Ireland's unemployment rate ‘cannot be blamed on the global economic situation,’ said FG spokesman on enterprise, trade and employment, Dr Leo Varadkar this week. Dr Varadkar proceded to list eight well-known countries whose unemployment was less than Ireland’s.

‘Why can’t we be more like Denmark?’ he asked. ‘The Danes have 1.7% unemployment. We haven’t had that since the height of the Celtic Tiger, a year or two ago. What’s the matter with the Government? Ten years of growth and now this, a downturn?’

Dr Varadkar was elected to the Dáil last year, at the age of 28. Not yet a household name, Dr Varadkar made headlines in January when he invited all Dail deputies to his 29th birthday party in Dublin’s Odessa Club. ‘I meant to just invite Fine Gaelers,’ Dr Varadkar said at the time, ‘but I sent the text to everyone by mistake. Of course they were all welcome, but I made sure they knew I had made a mistake.’

Dr Varadkar raised his profile the previous September by criticising in strong terms then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's financial practices in the 1992 - 94 era.

Party leader Enda Kenny, who was elected to the Dáil at the age of 24, said Dr Varadkar’s comments provided Ireland with a ‘road map out of recession.’

FF unveils ‘slightly’ rebranded name

Dermot Ahern was blaming the silly season. ‘It’s nothing. The media, as it does at this time every year, is trying its best to make a story out of nothing.’

But Enda Kenny was having none of it. ‘It’s a disgrace. It’s worse than the future of Zimbabwe,’ he said. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore drew comparisons with the most well-known Asian dictatorships.

FF’s decision to change its moniker from 'the republican party' to FF – the Permanent Party of Government has opposition parties fuming, but as usual, the public seems unconcerned.

Sitting in his constituency office on William Street, Tullamore the Taoiseach was critical of criticism: ‘It’s nothing new,’ said Mr Cowen. ‘It’s simply a recognition of something longstanding.’