Kenny says FG ministers would avoid constituency work for 100 days

NEW MINISTERS will concentrate exclusively on their portfolios and avoid constituency work for 100 days if Fine Gael is elected to government, party leader Enda Kenny said yesterday.

Promising to “hit the ground running” with a strategy to restore Ireland’s international reputation, Mr Kenny also said Irish ambassadors would be recalled from abroad temporarily for an extensive briefing.

“I actually see the emergence from this general election of a really brilliant opportunity to change so many things that have been broken, to redirect structures that have not delivered and to make a real impact in restoring some sense of pride to politics,” he said.

Announcing his party’s plan for its first 100 days in power if elected, Mr Kenny promised to end the “circus” of cabinet members attending local events in their constituencies.

“If this becomes a reality ministers will concentrate completely, to the exclusion of other works, on the national responsibilities of their portfolios. Their constituencies, I’m quite sure, will be happy to accommodate them.”

Mr Kenny said he wanted to focus on “relieving those pressures and obstacles to doing business in Ireland” to make the State the best small country in the world in which to do business by 2016.

“Every ambassador will be recalled, every representative of the State’s commercial bodies, such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA, etc, they will be extensively and precisely briefed on . . . the new urgency of our marketing position, our strategy and responsibilities overseas as a lead country in which to do business.”

Mr Kenny also said he would use his position as vice-president of the European People’s Party, which he described as Fine Gael’s “political family in Europe”, to persuade partners that the EU-IMF bailout was bad for Ireland and bad for Europe.

The Fine Gael leader said non-executive directors who have been on the boards of banks now in State control since September 2008, when the Government’s guarantee was introduced, would be replaced. At least 20 State bodies would be abolished and an audit of all public sector costs carried out “to kill waste”.

A jobs creation Bill would be introduced, including measures to cut employers’ PRSI and reduce the lower rate of VAT.

Legislation to bring in “sweeping political reform” would be published in draft form, outlining the party’s proposal to abolish the Seanad, introduce pay cuts and car-pooling for ministers and extend Dáil sitting times.

State-supported mortgage providers would have to publish plans to cut costs and reduce mortgage rates.

“At the end of the 100 days it would be my intention, if in that position, to report back on every aspect of the progress that I will demand and expect. Fourteen years have now gone by. There is no time to waste.”

Asked if Labour’s proposal to hold a referendum on same-sex marriage would be supported by Fine Gael, Mr Kenny said the matter was not a priority for his party. Fine Gael had been the first party to bring forward proposals for the recognition of civil union partnerships and had supported related legislation. “We will see to that in the context of a finance Bill coming through that we give effect to the conclusion of that, in effect of taxation and hereditary rights and so on.”

The party’s enterprise spokesman, Richard Bruton, said Fine Gael would initiate a further investigation into how the decision to extend the bank guarantee was reached.

A special unit within the Department of Health would be tasked with “riding shotgun” over critical issues that affected the quality of patient care, such as waiting times in AE.

Mr Bruton said Fine Gael would end the appointment of “political cronies” to State boards.

An independent fiscal advisory council would protect citizens from previous inappropriate and excessive behaviour by politicians, “where governments decided to pour oil on to an already flaming fire in the economy”.

He said the jobs crisis was the top priority for most people. “We will focus in with very targeted measures in the first 100 days.”