Promising to “hit the ground running” and to “match vision with action”, the new Fine Gael leader Simon Harris pledged to “fix housing once and for all” in his first ardfheis speech since his recent election.
Mr Harris was enthusiastically received by more than 1,000 delegates at the University of Galway this evening where he promised “a new energy” – the theme of the ardfheis – would succeed outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Mr Harris is scheduled to be elected taoiseach when the Dáil meets after the Easter recess on Tuesday morning.
“Next week I will be nominated for election as taoiseach,” Mr Harris said in his televised address on Saturday evening.
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“If given this great honour, I will take office when time is short but there is much to do. Tonight, I promise you, I’m gonna hit the ground running.”
Mr Harris said he would “stand by our values as a party and our vision as a nation. A tolerant, inclusive and outward-looking society, which is fair, caring and secure. I am going to match that vision with action.”
Mr Harris said he was drawn to join Fine Gael because of the party’s “fundamental values”, which he said were “Hope. Enterprise. Equality of opportunity. Integrity. Security. That is the Fine Gael I intend to lead, with a new energy.”
He said that Fine Gael seeks to protect the economy “because you cannot deliver the services that matter to people without a strong economic foundation”.
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“It is now time,” he said, “to convert that economic success into real and tangible improvements for all of our people”.
Mr Harris made no mention of his Coalition partners but it was possible to detect a distancing from the Green Party when he told delegates: “I want to say to farmers and to rural Ireland, Fine Gael will never talk down to you on climate action. We will sit down and work with you and for you.”
There were few policy commitments in Mr Harris’s address, though he promised to extend housing supports and extend tax credits for renters. He also pledged to build 250,000 homes over the next five years.
He also promised a package for small businesses and a plan to help farmers “within the next six weeks to act on what we have heard”.
Mr Harris also promised to reduce USC on lower- and middle-income earners and said Fine Gael would publish a “five-year tax strategy” later this year.
There were nods to education, healthcare, disability care and law and order, on which he promised a “a Dublin city centre taskforce bringing together the council, retailers, business, community groups and gardaí to chart a path towards a safer and vibrant Dublin”. He also promised a “firmer system” for dealing with migration and asylum.
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Mr Harris had strong words on Gaza, which he described a “humanitarian catastrophe”. While condemning the Hamas attacks in October, he said: “We cannot stay silent on the actions of Israel either. Reason has been replaced by revenge and by the bombing, maiming and death of children.
“Anyone who can countenance deliberate starvation has lost their humanity. Prime minister Netanyahu, the Irish people could not be clearer. We are repulsed by your actions.”
He added: “I reiterate Ireland stands ready to recognise the state of Palestine” but gave no further details.
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