Cowen rejects Kenny demand for general election

THE TAOISEACH rejected a demand from the Fine Gael leader that he call a general election in the aftermath of the resignation from the Dáil of Dr Jim McDaid.

Brian Cowen said one would have expected some measure of responsibility from Enda Kenny who aspired to the office of taoiseach. “I would make the point to the deputy that there is data available today which confirms that our budgetary plans are on track,’’ Mr Cowen added.

Mr Cowen expressed his good wishes to Dr McDaid, “a colleague and friend of mine for many years’’, adding that Dr McDaid had stated a position he first put forward in September 2009.

“This Government’s intention is to do its job, its duty at this time, and to use this House as a means by which we put forward our budgetary policies,’’ he added.

Mr Kenny said that the Government should go to the people and test its mandate.

“I challenge you, Taoiseach, in view of the continuing instability, both at home and abroad, that it is now time for this Government to stand up and be counted,’’ he added.

“Are your prepared to put your plan to the people?’’

Mr Kenny said the Government had “lost another man overboard today’’, adding that it was always a point of discussion when a member of parliament, for their own reasons, decided to resign.

It was one less voice for the Government and one less vote, he said. Dr McDaid had been an advocate of a general election for quite some time.

“We now have an unprecedented and quite bizarre gubu situation indeed, whereby the number of vacant seats now exceeds the working majority of the Government,’’ Mr Kenny added.

“This is bad for democracy, very anti-democratic and smacks of cowardice of Government in failing to allow the people to have their mandate in respect of constituencies where the vacancies are, or in respect of the people giving a national verdict on this Government.’’

Mr Kenny accused the Taoiseach of continuing to brazen it out as head of Government when he should realise that he had no longer the valid authority to govern.

“The position is that nobody believes the Government any more,’’ Mr Kenny added.

“The people in this country do not believe the Government, people outside this country do not believe the Government . . . your credibility has crumbled, your integrity as a Government has been shattered.’’

Mr Cowen said the Government would not abdicate its responsibility in bringing forward a four-year economic plan and a budget.

Mr Kenny said that a Minister had said to him recently that “if you are on antibiotics for 13 years, you do become immune to a lot of things’’.

The State, said Mr Kenny, was not able to borrow money, adding that international markets had no faith and belief in the Government’s strategy.

Mr Cowen said the Government was engaging in a policy of closing the gap, which needed to be closed, in terms of what was being spent and what revenues were coming forward.

The Government, he added, was pursuing the policies necessary to deal with the issues of how the country would recover.