'Sound policies' have given sustained growth - Ahern

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has told delegates at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis in Killarney last night that "sound policies" and "real leadership" are responsible for Ireland's sustained economic growth.

Delivering his keynote speech to the party conference, Mr Ahern said Fianna Fail was committed to delivering a clear agenda for reform in the public service, improved health and transport systems as well as continued peace in the North.

Sustained policies, real leadership and a government committed to change and reform harnessed to the energy, the talents and the hard work of our people have brought Ireland into an era of sustained economic growth," Mr Ahern told delegates.

"The distance we have come is so great that sometimes we almost take it for granted. But one thing we must never take for granted is prosperity itself.

"This Government working together with employers, trade unions and farmers have created and sustained the conditions for prosperity.

"And as long as Fianna Fáil has the responsibility of government, we will not risk the people's prosperity with uncosted plans, contradictory policies and empty promises," the Taoiseach pledged.

Mr Ahern said a flexible public service was needed "delivering change for a changing Ireland."

He said the Government would enter partnership negotiations with public service unions "with a clear agenda for change and reform".

"Public service unions have a job to do in defending their members. But this Government is no penny-pinching exploiter of a vulnerable workforce. We have no race to the bottom.

"We have no desire to depress the living standards or cheapen the working conditions of 350,000 public servants.

"We want the best for them provided they deliver the best for society. On the health service, Mr Ahern said it was

"very clear" that in many accident and emergency units, "we have not yet got it right".

"The problems in A&E have many causes," Mr Ahern said. "It is the bottleneck that we have to break through."

"We are determined to address the issues and to sort the problems in A&E." But Mr Ahern added: "We are investing in health, increasing resources and developing new services. But new resources must be matched by radical reform and full participation by all the partners in the health service.

"We cannot achieve everything we want in a single step, but we are determined to stick at it, determined to lead change, determined to achieve real results for patients."

He said a modern transport system was needed to contribute to the efficiency of the economy and that the Government would unveil its 10-year transport plan "in the coming weeks".

The Taoiseach said it would be the largest transport investment package in the history of this State. "A truly transformational programme, our ten-year investment framework will provide the resources, will detail the projects and will set out a timetable to overhaul our transport system - roads, new trains, new ways of travelling.

"Our plan will give Ireland the transport system it needs and deserves. It will underpin our success over the years ahead, help to drive our economy forward and, most importantly, it will lead to dramatic improvements in the quality of life of every citizen in every community."

Addressing the Northern Ireland peace process, Mr Ahern said it had taken "time, patience and perseverance" to persuade the Provisional IRA to "take up the political alternative to violence."

And he warned that unionism would "inevitably have to come to terms with the new fundamentals that are now emerging."