Enda Kenny and the rolling, inept heave

The Fine Gael parliamentary party meets tonight, but Enda Kenny is not expected to outline his plans for his own future. In truth, it had never been anticipated he would "effectively and conclusively" deal with it at the first meeting upon his return from his St Patrick's Day trip to the US.

Yet Kenny shows no sign of doing so at all in the coming weeks, if noises coming from Government Buildings are to be believed.

For all the talk of allowing Kenny time and space to make up his mind, the question has to be asked if the Taoiseach himself would be as generous in the circumstances. The ruthlessness with which he has dispatched his opponents in the past, and which has been a necessary hallmark of his political career, suggests otherwise.

Kenny’s friends say he genuinely believes he is better equipped to see through the opening stages of the Brexit negotiations than his would-be successors, and he probably is.

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The argument that he should close out months of European diplomacy by being present at the opening of the Brexit talks is a valid one, but the case for his staying on much longer is weak. A new leader should also have ownership of a tortuous process that will take up to a decade after article 50 is triggered on March 29th.

The argument that Kenny is needed to see a Northern Executive on its feet is entirely spurious, and is not borne out by the level of interest displayed by the Taoiseach in Northern affairs in the past.

A time comes when leaders believe only they can carry out the functions of their office: that is usually the time for them to go. Nevertheless, Kenny is displaying all the guile that has been evident in his career by stringing his successors and critics along, and undoubtedly enjoying it.

Simon Coveney - who initially laid out the post St Patrick's Day timeframe from a leadership election to begin - could look foolish if Kenny hangs on too long, while Leo Varadkar, blamed for subterranean agitation against the Taoiseach for months, if not years, is afraid to say anything more, for fear of damaging his prospects.

Both men will look like ditherers if they let this saga whimper on and cripple the work of Government. It should not be forgotten that the making of Kenny as an effective leader in the public mind was only confirmed with his 2010 rout of that previous inept Fine Gael heave.

People may tut-tut about the brutality of politics, but the public expects, even admires, a certain ruthlessness in their political leaders. See Haughey; see Kenny.

In a letter in today's Irish Times, Aoife Lord from Tankardstown puts it thus: "Mr Kenny's departure has been a topic of conversation for too long now. The uncertainty needs to be ended. Fine Gael needs to trigger its 'article 50' for Endexit to happen. If it wants us to believe it can run the country, Fine Gael needs to demonstrate that it can manage its own affairs."

The general rule of parliamentary party meetings is that the more they are built up, the greater the let down they are. The meetings everyone seeks to downplay - such as tonight - are usually the ones which bring fireworks.

But don't hold your breath. Our latest on the never-ending saga, for what it is worth, is here.