Micheál Martin launches blistering attack on Fine Gael

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has launched a blistering attack on Fine Gael and party leader Enda Kenny.

Mr Martin was speaking at his party’s first national councillors conference since the local and European elections in May when they became the largest party in local government.

Mr Martin said last week’s Fine Gael party conference “may well have set a world record for the amount of arrogant self-praise”.

“A combination of dishonest hype and hysterical attacks showed that Fine Gael today is deeply out of touch with the reality of Ireland after four years of their unfair, arrogant and divisive government. Every single element of the story they are promoting is a fairy-tale,” he said.

“They claim to have turned around the public finances, but they voted against the majority of measures for two years before the last election and these measures actually closed the deficit.”

Mr Martin was also critical of Enda Kenny’s record as leader of Fine Gael.

“Enda the Fireman dramatically turning around the country is a fiction which not even his most blinkered supporters actually believe. That’s why they are so eager to keep shielding him from a head to head debate.”

“He can find time to talk about Fianna Fáil at his party’s conference but he won’t repeat his words anywhere where he might have to deal with the reply. You can call that many things, but brave leadership it isn’t,”he said.

Mr Martin described the setting up of Irish Water as a “unneeded bureaucratic monster” which was set up “in order to pull a book-keeping trick”.

“The sole new activity which Irish Water has delivered is the installation of water meters which will at best be unused for years.”

Mr Martin said €290 million in motor taxes which should have gone to local services was diverted to Irish Water.

“This is money which is legally supposed to go directly to councils yet it is now paying for unearned bonuses and the installation of water meters which serve no purpose. In spite of the imposition of a crude version of water charges, investment in fixing supplies is actually down.”

Mr Martin stopped short of calling for the abolition of Irish Water or for people to not pay the charges.

“Irish Water is not needed to ensure investment and it is not needed to deliver the modern reliable and safe service people have a right to expect. Water services which are local, responsive and accountable are what we need,” he said.

Mr Martin said the next general election will be “a choice between an arrogant, out of touch and self-satisfied government and a programme for a recovery which is fairer and felt by all communities.”

Mr Martin defended Fianna Fáil’s record in Government and said they had published 84 bills and 30 policy documents.

He outlined the “core principles” which the party will stand for in the next general election.

He said Fianna Fáil will stand up for the “squeezed middle” and fairer taxation for workers and said they will “be paying particular attention to the Universal Social Charge”.

“We will address the growing crisis which is the exploitation of many vulnerable workers. The growing casualization of parts of the workforce and the expansion of deplorable zero-hours contracts must be tackled immediately.”

He described the governments education policy as a “shambles” and a “disgrace.”

“To end all guidance and counselling support in disadvantaged schools is a policy which no government could take if it cared for educational opportunity,” he said.