Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has said that his party’s manifesto is the best plan produced by any party entering into an election campaign.
Mr Kenny launched the 80-page document in Dublin this morning. His party was the last of all the major parties to produce its full list of proposals and policies for government.
The manifesto covers 21 specific policy areas and includes the party’s five-point plan for recovery. It contains no new policy initiative that has not previously been published by the party.
When asked if there was any novel policy in the plan, Mr Kenny did say that the Irish section – written wholly as Gaeilge – contained new elements, particularly his wholehearted commitment to the language.
However, that was not borne out by a reading of the section, which is a word-for-word reproduction of the party’s Irish-language policy, published earlier this month.
This week, Mr Kenny has come in for sustained criticism from Irish-language advocates for backing a plan to end compulsory Irish for the Leaving Certificate.
The document was launched at the Royal College of Physicians on Kildare Street by Mr Kenny and five members of his front bench: deputy leader James Reilly; environment spokesman Phil Hogan; finance spokesman Michael Noonan; enterprise spokesman Richard Bruton and energy spokesman Leo Varadkar.
Mr Kenny told the conference the manifesto was about jobs, about transformation, and getting the country working. He said he wanted Ireland to be the best small country in the world to do business by 2016 but that in order to do that, the budgetary deficit would have to be fixed.
He said that he would not be willing to write blank cheques and had told German chancellor Angela Merkel that the EU-IMF deal was a bad one for Ireland and a bad one for Europe. “I signalled clearly our priorities and our view on renegotiation,” he said.
Mr Kenny said the manifesto sets out the policy platform of the five-point plan – growth and jobs: deficit reduction; smaller government; new politics; and universal health insurance. He also said it would set out the agenda for a Fine Gael government.
“I believe after fighting 12 elections this is the best plan that any party that has ever had,” he said. “The team of people that Fine Gael has is the best. They are competent professional and efficient people.”
Mr Kenny, when asked, said he was not making any prediction on negotiations, compromises, or principle issues in any possible coalition arrangement with Labour.
“I am not looking beyond February 25th,” he said. “This programme and manifesto is the one with which we are seeking the best mandate from the people. We need a stable government with a strong mandate.”
Asked was Fine Gael now in search of an overall majority, he replied: “No, I’m not. I do not want to be in any way presumptuous.”
When questioned about the party’s promise to find 10 per cent savings through efficiencies in the public sector, Mr Bruton said it was essential to deliver the savings within four years without affecting front line service.
He said that the reduction of 30,000 in public sector numbers would entail 18,000 voluntary redundancies, with the remaining 12,000 coming through retirement. “It will mean consolidation. It is very achievable. Most private companies have done much more than that. To avoid front-line cuts, pay-cuts or tax increases, this is a ‘must achieve’,” he said.
Mr Noonan said that the party was committed to accepting the majority of the report on cuts in the public sector, drawn up by a committee chaired by economist Colm McCarthy. “They include very significant savings. The key is to deliver them. The experience that any of us in Government have had is that unless a cabinet member is in charge of something it does not get driven to the point of achievement.”
He said that was why there was a need to have a specific cabinet minister in charge of the public services to oversee the radical changes necessary.
For his part, Mr Kenny referred to Fianna Fáil’s reform policy and said he disagreed with the party’s willingness to take in non-politicians and experts to serve as cabinet members. “One essential fundamental for me is that if people are being asked to accept responsibility in politics in my view they have to be elected,” he said.
Later, Mr Kenny criticised the Labour Party for extending the timeframe for reducing the national deficit. “Irish people do not want to think there is an interminable night in front of them in relation to this burden. I much prefer to have it down sooner rather than have it extended for a further number of years," he said.
Mr Noonan denied the party had softened its tone to burden-sharing in the manifesto. Mr Noonan said there was no difference in the party’s position, although the language might be more nuanced.
In relation to possible differences between Fine Gael and Labour over social issues, including abortion, Mr Kenny said that abortion was a very sensitive matter and one that needed consideration and analysis. He said the committee approach which Fine Gael favoured would have the best legal and medical advice available to it.
“I have not made it an issue in this campaign though there are differences between the parties in relation to some aspects of it.”
Returning to the subject of his meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin yesterday, Mr Kenny said he told her that the corporate tax was the most important priority for Ireland and he had also told her that the EU-IMF deal needed to be renegotiated as it was a bad deal. Asked did she say anything in response, he said she had but would not elucidate.
Mr Kenny concluded by commenting on last night’s debate between the five leaders of the main political parties. “In a way it is like church gates. If you didn’t do them you think you miss something critical. In all the church gates I did, I don’t think I converted a single soul,” he said.