Ireland: Posters of Yes and No campaigns-Lisbon Treaty Referendum

Ireland: Reasons why Greens should not leave Government at a NAMA Conference

It is scarcely surprising that-as of now- four Green Party constituency organisations have passed motions calling for a special convention on NAMA, the “bad bank” being set up by the Government to buy toxic loans from lenders.
A convention will be held by the Greens before the legislation goes into the Dáil on September 16th if a similar motion is passed by one more constituency organisation.

The party suffered a shattering reverse in the June local government elections and now holds only three seats nationwide. This was exacerbated by the abysmal performance of Dan Boyle and Deirdre De Burca in the Euro elections. Independent Patricia McKenna-who left the party- secured a higher vote than the official Green candidate Deirdre De Burca in the Dublin Euro Constituency. Party fortunes are at a low ebb.

Some observers suspect that the Green Party may be searching for an exit strategy. Such a conference might offer such a possibility. Superficially this might appear to be an attractive option. However if considered at a deeper level it would be- in all probability -highly unwise for the following reasons:
(1) In general, electorates tend to punish small political parties, which precipitate elections.
(2) The electorate would view such a move with the utmost cynicism. The Greens would be perceived as being more interested in saving their own political skins.
(3) They would be viewed as a party unsuitable for government and incapable of taking unpopular decisions. Greens would be labelled cowards. A vote for a Green TD would be a wasted vote.
(4) An immediate election would cost the party its full complement of seats.
(5) Remaining in Government ensures that the party has 6 TDs and 2 Senators until the 2012 General Election and offers it some prospect of surviving.
If it loses its TDs in an early election it is FINISHED as a political force. No doubt party leader John Gormley is well aware of the hostile reception awaiting Green and FF candidates at the doorsteps in an early election campaign. It is a case of hang together or hang separately. Would turkeys vote for Christmas? The Greens are now trapped in government by the need for self preservation.

TK Whitaker, Gerard Sweetman and Sean Lemass some of the makers of modern Ireland

On tomorrow night RTE is running a programme titled Lemass: The Man who Made Modern Ireland.

The title of the programme is misleading.
In 1950 Fine Gael Minister for Industry and Commerce Dan Morrissey established the IDA -The Industrial Development Authority. Sean Lemass in opposition pledged to abolish the IDA if returned to power. FF on return to power in 1951 did not abolish the IDA. The IDA has played a major role in the development of Irish industry.
FF remained in power from 1951- 1954.

In 1954 Fine Gael, Labour, and Clann na Talmhan took office. FG TD Gerard Sweetman was appointed Minister for Finance.
That government inherited an economic mess. Unemployment stood at 421,000 whilst over 100,000 people had left agriculture during the previous 8 years. Sweetman strongly opposed the protectionist policies of FF and took very hard decisions. Sweetman believed that Ireland could grow its economy on the basis off booming exports. In his budget in 1955, he introduced a radical -for the time-scheme whereby a tax exemption was provided for exported goods. He also established the prize bonds scheme as a means of covering the national debt. In 1956 he plucked civil servant TK Whitaker from relative obscurity in the Civil Service and appointed him Secretary General of the Department of Finance. This raised quite a few eyebrows but the decision was a mark of Sweetman's greatness.

The incoming FF government benefited from Sweetman's decisions and indeed the work of Dan Morrissey in establishing the IDA in 1950.
TK Whitaker was the brainchild behind the First Programme for Economic Expansion, which played a major role in Irelands economic development in the 1960s. It is to the credit of Sean Lemass and a mark of his greatness that he accepted Whitaker's proposals and supported free trade policies espoused by Gerard Sweetman and T K Whitaker. In fact Lemass was now advocating policies diametrically opposed to those pursued by FF in power since the 1930. Certainly Sean Lemass was one of the makers of modern Ireland. But so also were Gerard Sweetman and T K Whitaker amongst others. It is important to realise that without the work of Sweetman and Whitaker, Lemass would have achieved little.

Ireland:Dungarvan Electoral Area-Council Election Results 2009 (Labour drop a seat)

Party	1st Pref	% Votes	Seats Won
Fine Gael	3,705	43.7%	3
Labour	1,699	20.0%	1
Fianna Fáil	1,384	16.3%	1
Sinn Féin	978	11.5%	1
Independent	720	8.5%	0

Name	Party	Sitting	1st Pref	% Votes	Elected
BREATHNACH, Jimmy	FG		445	5.2%
CRONIN, Tom	FF	Sitting	874	10.3%	Elected
GEOGHEGAN, Damien	FG	Sitting	1300	15.3%	Elected
HIGGINS, Tom	FG	Sitting	746	8.8%	Elected
KYNE, Billy	Labour	Sitting	959	11.3%	Elected
MANSFIELD, Brendan	Sinn Fein	Sitting	978	11.5%	Elected
NUGENT, Pat	FG	Sitting	1214	14.3%	Elected
O'DONNELL, Seamus	Ind		720	8.5%
WILKINSON, Ollie	FF		510	6.0%
WRIGHT, Teresa	Labour	Sitting	740	8.7%

In this electoral area the number of seats was reduced from 7 to six. One of the outgoing councillors faced the chop. Labour's Teresa Wright lost her seat. Many expected that FGs Pat Nugent would lose out. However he turned in a stunning performance and secured 1214 first preferences. This election has been a great success for FG with the party securing 3,705 (43.7%) first preferences. In addition Damien Geoghegan (FG) topped the poll with 1300 first preferences.

FFs failure to run a candidate from Dungarvan town backfired whilst the strategy of introducing Ollie Wilkinson (resident in Lismore Electoral area) failed to yield an extra seat. Seamus O'Donnell was not nominated by FF and ran as an independent. However he failed to secure election.

Ireland:Lismore Electoral Area-Council Election Results 2009 (FF drop a seat)

Party	First Pref	%Votes	Seats Won
FG	2631	45.3%	2
FF	2346	40.4%	1
Lab	836	14.4%	1

Name	Party	Sitting	First Prefs	%Votes	Elected
Curran Liam	FG		876	15.1%
Doocey Declan	FG	Sitting	822	14.1%	Elected
Flynn Nora	FG	Sitting	933	16.1%	Elected
Leddy Bernard	FF		679	11.7%
Pratt John	Labour		836	14.4%	Elected
Tobin James	FF	Sitting	1023	17.6%	Elected
Wilkinson K	FF	Sitting	644	11.1%

　
Here FF suffered an embarrassing reverse. It entered the election with 2 seats. Its strategy of adding Bernard Leddy to the ticket backfired and cost Kevin Wilkinson his seat. Both candidates were operating out of the town of Lismore. Outgoing councillor Kevin Wilkinson was eliminated. His transfers scattered and failed to bring in Bernard Leddy. This allowed Labour candidate John Pratt (Tallow) to snatch the seat. FF with 40.4% of first preferences could only manage one seat whilst Labour with 14.4% also won a seat. James Tobin FF topped the poll.
Newcomer for FG Liam Curran polled strongly, however he was overtaken by hardworking councillor Declan Doocey (FG) who has been particularly effective since his election in 2004. Cllr Nora Flynn-from Cappoquin- as usual garnered a huge vote testimony to her effectiveness as a great councillor.
FG will be particularly satisfied with its huge vote-(45.3%). This is up from 38% in the 2004 Local Elections. Indeed the party came close to snatching a third seat.

Ireland-Huge coup for FG as George Lee opts to contest Dublin South by-election for the party

The decision of RTEs economics editor George Lee to seek the FG nomination at the Dublin South Convention on tomorrow night is significant on many counts.

Assuming that he is selected on tomorrow night (a foregone conclusion) he will make a powerful candidate. Up to now Labour's Alex White was perceived as the front runner. However FG has a strong chance of now winning this seat as George Lee is a polished media performer. Whilst FF secured 40% of the vote in the 2007 general election, it is highly unlikely that it can hold its share of the first preference vote even with Shay Brennan as the likely candidate. Dublin South is largely a middle class constituency and is thus particularly suitable for a Lee candidature. Middle Class voters have been hammered in the budgets and a sizeable majority of middle class voters are disillusioned. Lee has never pulled his punches on the Irish economy and had continuously warned-before the housing crash- about excessive government expenditure and over reliance on the property market as a source of taxation. Consequently he starts with a formidable pedigree.

The election of George Lee would send shivers down the government benches as his forensic questioning on economic matters would put government ministers under intense pressure.

George Lee will further increase the level of economic expertise at the disposal of the FG party. Front benchers Richard Bruton, Kieran O’Donnell and Leo Varadkar are already a formidable trio on economic matters.

Lee’s decision increases the electability of the party as it can argue convincingly that it has the level of economic expertise needed to rule the country.

It further boosts morale in the run in to the European Elections and the two Dublin by-elections.

It also increases the likelihood of a further influx of talent into the party as it is on an upward curve.

No wonder Enda Kenny is smiling.

Ireland- Euro Elections: Can Burke,Crowley and Sinnott hold Munster seats?

The Euro election campaign in Munster is now in full swing. FG candidates - outgoing MEP Colm Burke and Sean Kelly former president of the GAA have put together two strong campaign teams. Colm Burke has been subjected to some unfair criticism in relation to his profile. It is well to remember that he has been MEP for only two years. He is articulate and hard working. He has been active on the issue of EU aid for Dell workers and secured concessions which benefited the Hasbro toy factory in Waterford. Colm Burke has been vocal on agriculture and fishing issues also.
Both Colm Burke and Independent MEP Kathy Sinnott were interviewed on Waterford Local Radio today. The two candidates were impressive. Colm Burke came across as quite a strong candidate.

Sean Kelly has a very high profile based on his time as president of the GAA where he was instrumental in the opening up of Croke Park to rugby and soccer internationals. He is generally regarded as one of the best presidents of the GAA. He has strong positions on major issues such as agriculture, health, unemployment and fishing. 500 people attended the launch of his impressive website. He should poll very well.

Independent Kathy Sinnott has been quite active since her election as an MEP. She is strong on such issues as health, disability and life. She has a high profile.

FF has two candidates running. Sitting MEP Brian Crowley has been an MEP for 15 years. He should hold his seat. He is joined by Ned O'Keeffe. It is rumoured that Brian Crowley is interested in the presidency of Ireland. If Crowley were elected president Ned O'Keeffe could take his seat as first substitute. Ned O'Keeffe is no sacrificial lamb and sparks may fly.

Alan Kelly from Tipperary is the Labour Party candidate. Over the last year he has been active on radio and television and has been gradually building a profile. He will hope to take the third seat.

Toireasa Ferris from Kerry is the Sinn Fein candidate. She will hold the republican vote but lacks sufficient profile to win a seat. She will also be damaged by the fact that there is another female candidate in the race and by the fact that the Labour Party is resurgent.

The Green Party candidate is Senator Dan Boyle . He is unlikely to win a seat.

It is too early to call the outcome as campaigns are in their initial stages. FF will win one seat, FG will win one. The third seat could be a dogfight between the second FG candidate, Kathy Sinnott and Alan Kelly.

Ireland: FG Finance Spokesman Richard Bruton and Simon Coveney TD attack FF supplementary budget impact on Middle Class and Families-7/4/09

Families Pay the Price for Fianna Fáil's Failures - Bruton

No Jobs Plan as Dole Queues Set to Hit 520,000 in 2010

Banks & Speculators Bailed out with €90bn Gamble of Taxpayers Money

Ordinary families are being hammered with today's Budget and are being made to pay for Fianna Fáil's failures on the economy, according to Fine Gael Deputy Leader & Finance Spokesman, Richard Bruton TD. He also pointed out that there was no serious plan to protect and create jobs, despite the fact that the Government were expecting 520,000 people to be on the dole queues next year. In addition the creation of a new asset management agency for toxic debt represented a €90 billion gamble with taxpayers' money to bail out banks and property developers.

"Many families will be brought to their knees by the taxes and levies imposed in this budget. Fine Gael proposed a savings programme of €3.5 billion split 1/3rd on tax increases, 2/3rds on spending controls. This Budget does the reverse and results in ordinary families picking up the tab for Fianna Fáil's destruction of our economy. In fact 75% of the Government's current savings in year one of their plan comes from increased taxation. Because of this reliance on taxes rather than spending controls a family with two children with an income of €60,000 will lose €4,600 in extra taxes as a result of this Budget. That represents an 8% cut in their family income.

"Wider than this raid on Irish families, with 520,000 people expected on the dole next year, the absence of a plan to get people back to work is an astonishing omission from today's presentation. The Taoiseach announced 'jobs jobs jobs' as his priority at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce earlier this year. This Budget shows no evidence that employment was a priority. There is no stimulus package, no pro-jobs tax measures and no real sense that the Government have any idea of how to get the country moving again.

"Finally, Fianna Fáil has taken a massive €90 billion gamble on behalf of the taxpayer in bailing out the very property speculators and banks that dragged our economy over a cliff in the last few years. Rather than adopt the Fine Gael policy on this issue which would see the banks being responsible for the bad debts they had racked up, it is now the taxpayer that is exposed. We have precious little by way of detail about this new bailout plan for the property speculators and banks and the real risk is that this bailout will leave the taxpayer fatally exposed to the bad debts of others.

"If ever there was proof that this Government was not capable of leading the country out of this recession, then today's Budget is final proof. No plan for jobs, the wrong balance on tax increases and spending cuts and a dangerous bailout plan for property speculators and banks confirms that this Government is hopelessly out of its depth in dealing with the economic crisis that they caused. I have said repeatedly that no economy can tax its way back to recovery - this Fianna Fáil Government had just decided to try it anyway. As usual, when Fianna Fáil get it wrong, ordinary families pay the price."

Budget pounds young families, middle income earners the hardest- Coveney

Parents in their 30's with young families pay the bill for disastrous FF mistakes

Young families and those on the modest and middle incomes will bear the brunt of the pain inflicted by the Government's Budget today (Tuesday), Fine Gael Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Spokesman, Simon Coveney has said.

"All the pre-Budget pretensions by the Government that this Budget would be fair have been proven to be totally false.

"Those on middle incomes will take the hardest hit. This is especially true of young families.

"Ordinary families will be hit for an average of €2,500 and those families just starting off will take a particularly hard hit. For example: Two parents in their 30's, one with an income of €56,000 and the other a stay at home parent, who purchased an apartment seven years ago and have one child will see:

- Their income levy doubled
- Their health levy doubled
- Their PRSI up 4%
- Their Mortgage Interest Relief abolished
- Their Child Benefit massively reduced next year
- Their Early Childcare Supplement abolished within the year

"The Budget is a targeted attack on our young generation. Those in their 20's and 30's on middle incomes who, if they are lucky enough to hold a job, are already struggling with mortgage repayments and the high cost of living."

Brian Lenihans Budget Speeech may be sourced here

Ireland: Video and Text of Enda Kenny keynote address to FG Ard-Fheis-4/4/09

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Keynote Address By Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny TD, Ard Fheis 2009.

I come here tonight to speak to you about the challenges facing the country and about my plan to get Ireland working again.

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.

This current crisis presents us with enormous challenges, but massive opportunities.

I believe that Ireland can recover fully from this recession inside five years.
This mission can only be achieved if we choose the right options, make the tough but correct decisions, and act decisively and act now.

We must act for the benefit of everybody in this country and not pander to any powerful vested interest. Be assured that under my leadership, Fine Gael will step up to the mark. We have the people, the ideas and the ambition. We will accept the responsibility of leading this country to a strong and prosperous future.

It's time for a new Fine Gael Government to take Ireland in a new direction.

Fianna Fáil could have, and should have, anticipated the economic crisis. While I recognise that global factors are partly to blame for the downturn, the reality is that mismanagement by our own Government has meant that Ireland is suffering much more than other countries.

Make no mistake about this - Fianna Fáil are responsible for the state of our domestic woes.

When our economy was strong, they squandered your money on wasteful projects, like e-voting machines, rather than investing in improving vital public services like schools and healthcare.

Thankfully, their days in Government are numbered.

Fine Gael's alternative involves radical reform to eliminate wasteful spending and reduce bureaucracy.

Let me be straight - no country has ever taxed its way back to recovery.

The problem with the public finances cannot be fixed by tax increases and crude spending cuts alone. As more and more people lose their jobs, the hole in the public finances gets bigger and bigger. The cornerstone of Fine Gael's plan for economic renewal is the creation and protection of jobs for our people.

That will be our number one priority in government.

As I travel around the country listening to people, the single greatest issue that concerns them and that causes real anxiety is the safety of their jobs, the possibility of losing a job and the need for a plan to move our country forward.

Losing a job doesn't bring just financial hardship. Our sense of identity, dignity, self-worth and independence is bound up in our work. It gives our lives a purpose, without which it is all too easy to slip into feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

The shock of losing all that has now registered on the faces of over 375,000 people in this small country. That's why Fine Gael has continuously pointed the way forward and why we have placed job protection and job creation at the heart of our recovery plans. This country has drifted aimlessly in the past few years from one crisis to another with no vision of where to go or what to do.
It was always too little, too late.

Fine Gael has set the agenda all along. We were right on benchmarking, we were right on the scrapping of the National Pay Deal, we were right on Bank recapitalisation and on the need for a new Budget.

And we're right to focus on jobs now.

I believe that we can meet the challenge ahead and revive our country by setting out clear targets and then achieving them with determination. These are our targets:
1. Create 100,000 new jobs by the end of 2013.

2. Return the public finances to health 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 5 most competitive countries in the world within 3 years.

These targets are all achievable if driven by a new Fine Gael Government with new ideas and the energy and the commitment to do the job.

Our young people now have to compete against their peers around the world.

That world will change utterly in the next 20 years as a consequence of further developments in robotics, nanotechnology, genetics, the internet and climate change. We have to be at the vanguard of that change and education is the key.

Our young people have many advantages. Our education system can be and should be the best in the world. We have proven to be world class in music, literature, the arts and sport. We have a unique capacity in language and research.
But to meet the future challenges, we need more.

We need free access to 3rd level Colleges.

Fine Gael will not deny any family the opportunity to send a son or daughter to college because of financial pressures.

The gates to dreams and potential will remain open. We will not support the reintroduction of 3rd level fees and will abolish the current registration fee system.

Instead, when they start to work and earn, graduates will make a fair contribution to the cost of their course over a 5 to 10 year period.

This will provide a new €500 million annual fund for which 3rd level Colleges will compete - based on the quality of the courses that they offer and the scale of their reform.

A country that does not provide excellence in education is a country that fails its future: Fine Gael will not allow this country to fail its future.

That future for many is stressful and uncertain. Last week I met a couple whose child has special needs. They have mortgaged their home twice. Nobody knows a child better than its mother. This is what the child's mother said to me:

'We've always paid our taxes, and yet we've had to fight the State every day of our child's life to get any kind of services. We've a personal overdraft for which we're being charged 20% interest by a bank being bailed out by our taxes. Do you understand how angry I am when I read of people receiving millions of Euro despite disgraceful behaviour within banks?'

Well I understand that anger. I meet people like that mother every week.

Victims of appalling and scandalous State neglect and banking greed.

That's why Fine Gael demands a radical shake-up of Irish banking that will see new people leading the banks and those responsible for outrageous abuses severely punished.

The message has to go out, both at home and abroad, that these practices will not be tolerated by the Irish people.

Fine Gael will extract and deal with the tainted remnants of irresponsible lending so that reformed, clean banks can start lending again to the small and medium Irish businesses that are so essential to the creation of jobs.

Last week, I met a small retailer in Kildare who, because she was refused a loan of just €3,000 for cashflow, is now forced to lay off staff. Countless other businesses are similarly starved of credit.

The banks must play their part in supporting employment because, if they don't, the economy will continue to decline.

That decline can only be reversed by job creation. This is why Fine Gael published our jobs plan - Rebuilding Ireland.

This plan, which will create 100,000 jobs within 4 years, will be an investment in the future and will be paid back in time.

Across the Country, these new initiatives driven by me as Taoiseach, will provide jobs for young people, engineers, scientists, farmers, business people - men and women - in a unique venture to put Ireland up there with the very best internationally.

The Fine Gael plan is not about jobs for the boys, but jobs for the people.

These plans are just the start. There are many other areas where jobs can be created.

I intend to establish a policy foundation to harness the flow of exciting ideas streaming into this party from people all over the world. We will capitalise on the infinite possibilities that stem from new technologies and clean bank investment for businesses across Europe.

To help stimulate new jobs, Fine Gael will abolish Employer's PRSI for every new job created.

Along with creating these new jobs, we must also work to retain existing jobs.

That's why last week we proposed reducing the lower rate of VAT to 10% - a move that will support labour intensive sectors like Tourism and Construction.

That's why we will slash the red tape and bureaucracy that is strangling Irish Business.

That's why we will force down Government controlled prices like energy and rates.

Then we can face the future, not with eyes of fear but with a focus on confidently achieving our goals.

Because we know we can do it.

These incentives however come at a price. Achieving national recovery requires difficult decisions on tax and spending.

That is why politicians must lead by example. Fine Gael has taken the lead in demanding political reform that will see an end to ministerial Pensions for serving TDs; a reduction in the number of Dail committees and the abolition of additional payments for Committee work.

One of my first acts as Taoiseach will be to reduce the number of Junior Ministers from 20 down to 12.

We don't need 20 Junior Ministers - and the Country can't afford them.

Equally the Country cannot afford the billions wasted in a Health System that was never reformed in any fundamental way. My message tonight is simple.

Despite the best efforts of nurses and doctors and all those working on the front-line, our health system is broken.

And this Government has no idea how to fix it.

The health service needs radical change. Fine Gael will deliver that change. We will deliver a health system that is concerned solely with people's medical needs, and not with the money in their pocket.

We will end the two-tier system.

We have devised a plan based on best practice in the Netherlands and Canada. It will eliminate trolleys in A&E, slash waiting lists and end the current health divide that denies fair treatment to the less well-off in our society.

Our goal is clear: To give Ireland a world-class health service where everyone is treated fairly, regardless of income, and where the patient is central to that service.

Fine Gael will make sure that the people of Ireland get the services that they pay for and deserve.

Whatever decisions have to be made next Tuesday in these difficult times, they must not destroy the spirit of communities and the voluntary care provided for
the voiceless, the defenceless, the aged and the intellectually challenged.

I see examples of this wonderful care every day, all over Ireland - 3 million hours of loving care provided every week by people who receive no thanks and little support from the State.

No bureaucrat sitting with a pen should destroy that generosity of spirit of Irish people.

No calculator can place a value on this. The government that has destroyed our economy cannot be allowed to destroy our humanity.

No Government led by me will allow it to happen and irrespective of
what else has to give, this will not.

Chuir sé isteach orm go mor gur dunmharu triur sa Tuaisceart le deanai. Ar mo mholadh fein, ghlac Dáil Eireann le rún comhbhron agus bhí tacaiocht o chuile pháirti i gcoinne an feall sin. Chuir an Dáil amach teachtaireacht laidir don Teach Bán, do mhuntir na hEorpa agus don domhain ar fad nach glacann munitir na hEireann, Tuaisceart agus Deisceart, leis an eacht ufasach sin. Caithfear deireadh a chur le seo laithreach. D'oibrigh an iomairce daoine ro dian and ro fhada chun go ligfear go dtosnodh an troid sin arís. Leanfaimid ar aghaidh le siochain seasamach as seo amach.

It was out of the need for peace that the European Union was born.

Europe has been vital to Ireland's development as a respected and influential member of the international community.

I want a reformed, effective, and democratic Europe to be a key driver of economic recovery and future prosperity. This Europe must be given the architecture to serve a population of 500m people.

That's why Fine Gael has and will continue to support the reforms in the Lisbon Treaty and we will lead the campaign for its approval by the Irish people later in the year.

In the meantime, the people will vote June 5th to elect Ireland's members of the European Parliament. It is more important than ever that we elect strong and effective MEPs. Fine Gael's membership of the largest political family, the European People's Party, gives our MEPs a unique place of influence when the important decisions are taken.

That's why I urge people to vote for Gay Mitchell in Dublin; for Colm Burke and Sean Kelly in the South; for Mairead McGuinness and John Paul Phelan in the East and for Jim Higgins and Joe O'Reilly in the North West. In doing so, you will be choosing Ireland's strongest voices in Europe.

No other nation has ever been as willing to sacrifice for a better future than the Irish. We moved from being navvies to being nation builders. We benefited from thousands of mothers and fathers who scrimped and saved so that their children could continue to build our country.

I make no pretence and no promise that we can instantly fix the problems we inherit.

But I do promise that we will free the potential that, at the start of the last century, enabled our people to come through oppression and recession to build a great democracy.

"Let the people know the truth and the country is safe" said Lincoln. Well, I will tell them the truth. The Country will be safe.

We will revive the excitement and sense of possibility that allowed our people, in the 1980s, to come through the hardest of times to build an economy which was the envy of the world.

As the proud father of three young children my priority is securing the future of all of our children.

But to achieve this, we need courageous, confident, clear leadership from a Fine Gael Government that truly cares.

Fianna Fail have lost the capacity to lead, and more importantly, they have lost touch with the people and the people have lost trust in them. And they know it.

When I took on the leadership of Fine Gael, the scale of the challenge was huge. Many said that the situation was hopeless, but I've worked hard, built solid foundations, picked a strong team and encouraged their creativity so that we could recover and grow. And we have.

Now I want to do the same for Ireland.

Fine Gael is the party with the team, the energy and the ideas to get the Irish people back to work. And we are the only party that guarantees the political change this country so desperately needs.

Last year, across the Atlantic Ocean, a young man began to live and achieve his dreams for his country.

The simplicity of his slogan 'Yes we can', captured the imagination of the world.

Let nobody doubt my resolve as Leader of this great Party to achieve my ambition for our country. A fair and just society, a strong and healthy economy and a rewarding and peaceful future for all.

My call to the Irish people is different. It's not just 'Yes we can', but 'Yes we will'.

Dublin: At least 100,000 protest at Government handling of economy (21/2/09)

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Up to 120,people gathered in Dublin today to protest over the impact of the economic recession on workers. The General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, David Begg, called on the Government to negotiate with the trade union movement on its alternative ten-point plan for economic recovery. Mr Begg said that a corrupt business elite had done huge damage to Ireland and described its actions as economic treason.

Ireland:Government nationalises Anglo Irish Bank-Plan to inject €1.5bn into the bank dropped

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The Government has announced plans to take complete control of Anglo Irish Bank, saying its previous plan to inject money into the bank is not the best way to secure its viability....
The Government had planned to inject €1.5bn into the bank, taking 75% of the voting rights in the process...The bank will continue to operate as normal and depositors and creditors should continue to transact as normal.. The Government statement said shareholders' rights would be respected, and that legislation will outline plans for compensation.(RTE)

Fine Gael has issued the following statement:

Anglo U-turn the Correct Decision but Latest in Long Line of Climb downs
The Government have been forced to abandon their own recapitalisation plan for Anglo Irish Bank and have directly adopted the plan set out by Fine Gael in this regard just yesterday, according to Fine Gael Deputy Leader Richard Bruton T.D. He was speaking after the Government announced the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank this evening.

"In December Fine Gael said it was not appropriate for the Government to pour taxpayers' money in to a recapitalisation plan for Anglo Irish Bank, given the information that had emerged regarding Anglo's lending practises. We formed the view that the public were entitled to have trust and confidence in the banks that they were being asked to recapitalise. This trust and confidence was clearly not there for Anglo. The Government, however, regardless of the advice offered ploughed on with a plan to put €1.5bn of taxpayers' money in to Anglo.

"Tonight the Government have finally been forced in to recognising their mistaken approach to this bank. They have adopted the plans set out by Enda Kenny yesterday in relation to Anglo Irish Bank, the latest Fine Gael proposal that they have been forced in to adopting. The handling of this issue confirms, once again, that the Government are all at sea on economic policy and are lurching from one u-turn to the next. First it was the multiple u-turns on the Budget, then the requirement for recapitalisation of Irish banks, then the idea of a pay freeze, and then finally their u-turn on Anglo Irish Bank's entitlement to be included in the recapitalisation programme.

"This latest of u-turns, while the correct decision that will help protect the viability of the remaining banks, does not bode well for the steady and assured management of the economy in the future. Finally, the Government needs to clarify if today's announcement has the effect of extending the State guarantee to any additional liabilities of the bank, including the owners of €2bn in perpetual preference shares."

Ireland: FF proposal to slash school buses is unfair, blinkered & daft - Feighan

The school transport scheme was set up in the 1960s to ensure access to primary and post-primary education for children who live in rural areas. It now costs the taxpayer €170 million annually to run the scheme. Dublin FF TD Chris Andrews argues that given that most families now have access to their own transport it is time to revise the scheme. He told the Evening Herald: "It is hard for me as someone in the city to see how it is fully justified. "It's very much a rural scheme and given the traffic in Dublin, if anything it's Dublin it should be in. "It's a huge expense and I would have thought that there were other things higher up on the priority list."

Frank Feighan TD FG Deputy Spokesperson on Transport & Education, with Special Responsibility for Rural and School Transport has blasted Andrews proposals. The following is the text of a statement released by Mr Feighan on the issue.

FF proposal to slash school buses is unfair, blinkered & daft - Feighan

"More than 135,000 children in far-flung rural areas use the State transport scheme to get to school. Many would not be able to get to school at all without school buses, and many schools would be forced to close.
"So I was astonished to hear Dublin Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews suggesting that the school transport scheme should be scaled back in rural areas, and instead be rolled out in his own city. Deputy Andrews's mindless proposal shows just how out of touch the Government has become.
"This proposal is shot full of holes:
- Most urban areas already have extensive public transport networks, while most rural areas do not;
- Scrapping school buses in rural areas would force more parents to drive their children to school, driving up pollution levels and adding to congestion.
"Furthermore, in the midst of the deepest recession in living memory, it would add considerably to household bills. Brian Lenihan has already pushed up the cost of school transport by over 200%. Fianna Fáil's proposal to abolish school transport in rural areas is unthinking, inconsiderate and beyond the pale."

Chris Andrews is out of touch with life in rural Ireland. His proposals are a cynical ploy geared to curry favour with his own urban constituents. Rural backbench TDs of all political parties would strongly oppose this nonsensical proposal. Arise rural Ireland from thy political slumber.

Ireland:Government plans public sector pay cuts-5% reduction likely with further cuts to follow

2008 Exchequer figures released yesterday confirm a 12.7 billion euro deficit in the public finances after the tax take came in 8.1 billion euro less than what was predicted for the year. Last year's tax revenues fell to levels last seen in 2005. At the height of the construction and property boom in 2006, the Government took in €10bn on property-related taxes, almost a quarter of all tax revenues. The government allowed public expenditure to grow by 25% in 2006 and 2007. This rate of public expenditure growth was patently unsustainable. However it helped FF to return to power in the 2007 general election. FG Finance Spokesman Richard Bruton in 2006 and 2007 warned the government of the likely consequences of this policy. These dire consequences have come to pass. Unfortunately the property boom on which this public expenditure splurge was based could not be expected to continue forever.

The crash in Irish building and construction has decimated property taxes. Unemployment is heading for the 300,000 mark further straining government finances. The rise in the value of the euro is increasing pressure on Irish exporters whilst the international recession is further depressing the economy. In 2009 it is likely that Ireland will have a negative growth rate of around -4%. Ireland is now caught between its own internal economic problems and the international recession.

It is anticipated that the deficit could reach 21 billion euro in 2009 without further remedial action. A public sector pay cut is a certainty. 5% is regularly mentioned as a likely figure. It is more likely to be at least 10% in the longer term. Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and Taoiseach Brian Cowen intend to consult with the social partners. Decoded this means a public sector pay cut with the blessing of the unions.

Ireland – Tax Revenue shortfall for 2008 to reach €8 billion plus (The 2009 current deficit is likely to come in at around €8 billion)

Figures released show a massive shortfall of close to €7.5 billion in the amount of tax revenue collected by the Government during the first 11 months of the year. Already revenue projections in the October budget are seriously out of line. The October budget forecast a total tax shortfall for 2008 of €6.5 billion. It is now probable that the shortfall for the year could exceed €8 billion. Tax revenue is 16 per cent behind projections made at the start of the year. VAT is €2.1 billion below expectations, capital gains tax is down €1.7 billion and stamp duty is €1 billion below target.

The 2009 Exchequer deficit appears headed for €16.5 billion and the associated General Government Deficit is likely to be 8% instead of the 6.5% projected in the recent Budget. The 2009 current deficit is likely to come in at around €8 billion.
These are horrific figures, which rule out the possibility of a financial injection by the government to reflate the economy. The government has absolutely no leeway. The over expansionary budgets in 2006 and 2007 by the FF/PD government led to an increase in public expenditure of 25% and also fuelled inflation. This was tantamount to pouring petrol on the raging fires of economic growth at a time when it was necessary douse the flames. This spending was supported by revenue from an unsustainable property boom.

The government is now trapped. It lacks the financial wherewithal to boost the economy. Internal revenue sources are shrinking. The property bubble has burst. Unemployment has reached 251,000 and will continue to rise sharply.

The FF/Green government will endeavour to tackle the problem by a combination of further public expenditure cuts and a reduction of public service numbers. It may also target public service pay. In a doomsday situation a 10% pay cut could not be ruled out.

FG leads FF by 5% in latest Sunday Business Post/Red C poll

The Red C poll in tomorrow's Sunday Business Post shows that FG leads FF by 5%. There is an improvement in FFs fortunes with a rise of 4% since the last Red C poll. However FF is still down 12% on its general election result. FG at 35% gains 2% since the last survey. FGs support is up 8% on its general election showing. Labour is down 1% since the last poll but is still 4% higher than its 2007 general election outcome. A 1% drop is statistically insignificant. The Greens drop 1% for the second successive month. Support for the Greens is likely to evaporate in the coming months as the economic recession, tax rises and public expenditure cuts bite. This is the first poll since the PDs were wound up.

FG will be buoyed up by its showing in various polls and by a very successful conference in Wexford this weekend. Nevertheless it is likely that FF will come in at around 40% in any general election situation unless FG can break FFs stranglehold on the loyalties of a significant proportion of the electorate. The economic crisis has damaged FFs claims to competence in the economic management of the country. The FG party must improve organization and communication and continue to demonstrate economic competence. Finance Spokesman Richard Bruton is by far the most impressive performer on the economy in the Dail. His talents are wasted in opposition.

The reality is that the core support for all Irish political parties will continue to drop. This opens up prospects for huge swings in support in future elections. It is a moot point as to when these huge swings will occur. Could the organizational structures of the larger parties blunt the severity of such swings?

The next general election is due in 2012.-assuming that the FF/Green coalition survives. If the economy has not rebounded strongly FF will lose marginal seats. This would be sufficient to send the party into opposition unless it could cobble together a coalition with Labour.

• Fine Gael 35% (+2%)
• Fianna Fail 30% (+4%)
• Labour 14% (-1%)
• Greens 5% (-1%)
• Sinn Fein 8% (-2%)
• Independents/Others 8% (+0%)

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FF support crashes in Irish Times /TNS mrbi poll.

• Fianna Fail 27 (-15)
• Fine Gael 34 (+11)
• Labour 14 (-1)
• Sinn Fein 8 (+0)
• Greens 4 (-1)
• Independents 13 (+7)

"The level of dissatisfaction with the Government is now a massive 76 per cent, while 61 per cent of people are dissatisfied with the way Mr Cowen is doing his job.Satisfaction with the Government is now just 18 per cent, a drop of 28 points since the last Irish Times poll in June, while satisfaction with Taoiseach Brian Cowen has fallen to 26 per cent, a drop of 21 points." The poll puts Fine Gael ahead of Fianna Fáil for the first time ever in an Irish Times opinion survey.

Source: Irish Times

Whilst all polls are just a snapshot in time this particularly survey is sure to shock even the most ardent FF and Green Party supporters. Unpopular government decisions on the medical card for over 70s and severe education and agricultural cutbacks have sapped popular support for the government. Unemployment in Ireland has reached a 10 year high of 6.7 percent and has grown by 60 percent over the past year to more than 250,000. The decision to defer the cervical cancer vaccination programme for young girls has further angered voters.

With a deficit projected at 7% more unpopular cutbacks and rises in unemployment are in the offing. Can the government withstand the inevitable outcry, which will ensue? The next general election is not due until 2012. Ireland faces at least two very difficult years on the economic front. Next year it is anticipated that unemployment may reach 350,000. This will further strain government financial resources whilst efforts must continue to bring the deficit down below the 3% level required by the EU.

In any general election situation FF support would quickly rise to 40%. Much of the support lost to FG would probably return. FF supporters have an amazing capacity to rally behind their party.

FG has benefited strongly in this poll. However the party must learn to consolidate this rise in support. Richard Bruton -FG spokesman on finance- has starred in the economic debates and the party has benefited accordingly.

Labour Party support is also well up on its general election showing in 2007.

The poll is a warning to the Green Party that its support has begun to wane. Indeed the Greens may become the new PDs. The PDs acted as FFs mudguard and have now voted themselves out of existence. The Green Party is trapped. If it pulls down the Government the electorate will hammer it in any ensuing election. If it remains in government it must tolerate more unpalatable measures. FG and Labour can now mop up Green Party support.

Irelands PDs are no more-Today the party votes itself out of existence

A special conference of the Progressive Democrats has voted for the party to go out of existence, after the leadership stated it was no longer politically viable.
Delegates voted by holding voter registration cards aloft. The final tally was 201 votes to 161 against a motion to continue with the party.

The PDs were founded in 1985 following a split in the Haughey led FF party. This split had its genesis in the arms trial of 1970. This was an opportune time to found a new political party in Ireland as the economy was struggling.
FF TDs Desmond O’Malley, Mary Harney, Bobbie Molloy and Pearse Wyse left to form the new political party. They were joined by FG TD Michael Keating. Michael McDowell (not a TD at this time) also left FG to join the new party.

The PDs took on the mantle of tax cutters and proclaimed themselves as liberal on social issues. O’Malley and Harney when members of FF staunchly supported the disastrous FF Manifesto which swept FF to power in the 1977 general election. This give away manifesto was a major causative factor of Irelands economic problems in the 1980s. It was the brainchild of Martin O’Donoghue who also joined the new PD party. In the 1987 general election the PDs won 14 seats mainly at the expense of FG. Indeed FG never fully recovered from the PD threat until the 2007 general election.

The party’s strongholds were: Waterford city, Cork city, Limerick, Galway and parts of South Dublin.

In reality the party was an uneasy amalgam of anti- Haugheyite FFers, independents, carpetbaggers , political opportunists and extreme right wingers, many of whom failed to progress in FG and FF. It frequently in its initial stages poached FF and FG members. It never became a fully-fledged national political party. In reality the strongholds were personal fiefdoms. In most parts of Ireland, PDs were as scarce as icebergs in the Sahara. In contrast FF and FG have members in every parish. These are the eyes and ears of those parties. The PDs once proposed to remove God from the constitution-further emphasizing their lack of the common touch.

After the highs of the 1987 general election the new party gradually lost popular support. It fell into decline in Waterford and Cork. In Waterford PD TD Martin Cullen defected to FF. It lost Pat Cox following a divisive leadership contest involving Mary Harney and Cox. In its initial phase it put tax cuts and competition on the agenda. Frequently these were delivered in a cynical manner. The revenue foregone was recovered by means of Stealth Taxes.

Fortuitously for the PDs the party managed to secure the election of sufficient TDs to go into coalition with FF on four separate occasions. In essence the party became FF’s mudguard. However it had many apologists in the media.

In the 21st century the party had dispensed with any pretensions to radicalism. It binned any real commitment to tax cuts. It cynically supported FFs huge public expenditure splurges in the run in to the 2002 and 2007 general elections. In the 2002 general election it fared reasonably well by securing eight seats with a miniscule share of the vote. Some FG supporters switched to the PDs to prevent an overall FF majority. When Michael McDowell replaced Mary Harney as leader he became more FF than FF itself. McDowell continued to savagely attack FG. This was political folly as he had secured election largely with loaned FG votes. Mary Harney ran into serious difficulties as Minister for Health.

The electorate finally administered the coup de grace in the 2007 general election. The PDs returned with just two TDs- Mary Harney and Noel Grealish. The party lost high profile TDs such as McDowell, Liz O’Donnell, Tim O’Malley and Tom Parlon. It was fatally wounded even though once more it joined FF and the Greens in coalition.

Since the 2007 general election the party has continued to haemorrhage support. PD TD Noel Grealish intended to join FF.
Mercifully today the party was put out of its misery. Mary Harney intends to function as an independent whilst Fiona O’Malley and Noel Grealish will join FF. Party leader Ciaran Cannon may join FG. FG is the party, which stands to gain most as the PDs-though an FF splinter party- managed to siphon off support mainly from FG.

Fine Gael beats FF into second place in RedC/Sunday Business Post poll

The Red C poll in tomorrow's Sunday Business Post shows that for the first time since polling began, Fine Gael is 7% ahead of FF.

This public opinion poll however comes with a health warning. Red C carried out their monthly poll for the newspaper on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - at the height of the medical card controversy. In addition opposition to education cutbacks had begun to gain momentum. The IFA has begun a campaign against cutbacks in agriculture whilst the closure of army barracks has spawned further opposition. Unemployment has risen sharply and will continue to rise in the immediate future. The increase in health charges is highly unpopular. VHI charges will also rise as a consequence of budget decisions. The underfunding of local authorities will cause a sharp rise in rates and water rates. In addition a supplementary budget cannot be ruled out- probably after next Summers Local Elections.

A fall in support for FF is not unexpected. However the scale of the fall is rather surprising. The party is down 10% to 26%.FF has shown a capacity to recover in the run in to General Elections. However the harsh decisions required to put the economy on a firm footing may sap the party's energy somewhat. The results are hugely encouraging for FG and Labour. However both parties must convert this support into votes at the ballot box. FG will underestimate FF at its peril. Prior to the 07 General Election FG rose sharply in the polls but fell back in the final week of the campaign.

• Fine Gael 33% (+5%)
• Fianna Fail 26% (-10%)
• Labour 15% (+6%)
• Greens 6% (-1%)
• Sinn Fein 10% (+1%)
• PDs 2%(-1%)
• Independents/Others 8% (+0%)

Just 23% of those polled said they were confident the Government could manage the public finances out of the recession, down 19% since last month, while 59% said they were not confident and 21% said they did not know.

Ireland:15,000 Old Age Pensioners Demonstrate Outside the Dail

15,000 Irish Old Age pensioners demonstrate outside the Dail to condemn the FF/Green/PD Government's decision to end universal entitlement to the Medical Card for over 70s. The decision of the Government to backtrack on its original proposal and to exclude 5% of the pensioners from entitlement, has failed to mollify the pensioners who fear that the breach of universality is the thin edge of the wedge to erode other entitlements.

Ireland-Government Surrenders on Medical Cards for Over 70s(Grey Voters flex muscles)

Video requires RealPlayer

This TV3 video features a pensioners rally in Dublin to oppose the governments decision to remove automatic entitlement to medical cards for the over 70s. This video speaks for itself. Government representatives who attempted to address the meeting were prevented from speaking. Opposition leaders Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore were loudly applauded.The venue for the meeting had to be moved from a city hotel to nearby St Andrew's Church in Westland Row to accommodate the numbers.

The meeting unanimously passed a motion calling on the Government to reverse its decision to end universal entitlement for medical cards for all over 70s.


Last Tuesday the FF/Green/PD government withdrew automatic entitlement to a Medical Card for all over 70s . Means testing was to be introduced to determine entitlement. In the course of the budget speech some FG and Labour Party TDs already realised that the government had committed a huge political blunder. There was an immediate outcry from the elderly and from organizations representing them. The decision struck terror into large numbers of pensioners. I have never encountered such fury among pensioners. The FG and Labour parties launched a ferocious attack on the measures in the Dail. Within 24 hours of the announcement some TDs in the government parties and indeed some ministers such as Brian Lenihan began to wobble. In addition independent TDs such as Michael Lowry and Finian McGrath declared that they could not support the measures. FF TD Joe Behan resigned from the party.

The pressure continued to build. A vote on an FG private members motion in the Dail seeking the restoration of the entitlement to all over 70s was due on tomorrow night. There was no certainty that the government could vote down the motion. Today the government caved in and raised the threshold levels so as to ensure that only the top 5% of pensioners would be deprived of the card. The new income thresholds for qualification for a medical card for over-70s are €700pw for a single person, equivalent to €36,500pa, and €1,400pw for a couple, or €73,000pa.
Existing medical card holders will not have to undergo a means test. Instead, they will be asked to notify the Health Service Executive if they are over the income threshold. 20,000 people will lose their medical cards.
People who currently have a medical card and who are over the new income threshold will not keep their medical card after 1 January, under legislation to be brought forward.

However the fury has not abated as the principle of universality has been breached. Serious damage has been done to the authority of the government and to the leadership of Brian Cowen. This episode has seriously eroded the authority of Mary Harney as Minister for Health. The grey vote has flexed its muscles in no uncertain terms and will grow in importance as the population ages. Many pensioners were terrified by the proposed budget changes. In addition the budget proposals were viewed as the ultimate insult to a generation that made huge sacrifices in the 1980s when the marginal rate of income tax was 58%. Much of Ireland's prosperity today is due to its sacrifices. The tsunami of criticism has rocked the FF party to its foundations. In addition the Greens have been seriously damaged. A new political force has been energised. Expect to hear more from the over 70s who have emerged radicalised and more confident from the heat of battle.

Today the government backtracked on the application of a 1% levy to all income-part of last weeks budget- and announced that those on incomes below the minimum wage will be exempt from the proposed 1% levy. The threshold for the 2% levy will be lowered bringing in more middle-income taxpayers to compensate for the loss of revenue.

Two u-turns -on one day- are unheard of in Irish politics. Now huge opposition to changes in the pupil teacher ratio -in the nations schools- is building. In addition university students are up in arms over the increase in the registration fee from €900 to €1500. This government could be heading for the cliff of political destruction.