TAOISEACH ENDA Kenny has spoken about the effect on him of his mother’s recent death and of his sympathy for people who have suffered personal tragedies.
He said that while his mother’s death was not easy for him on a personal level, she would have wanted him to get on with the job. Her attitude would have been: “Politics is a privilege so get on with it.”
Mr Kenny said there was something surreal about the fact that on the day his mother died he had to speak at the annual Fine Gael president’s dinner.
“It was surreal where people were voicing their excitement at the first time the party has been in government for quite a number of years. We are the largest party in the country now, which is an outstanding and unprecedented success, but it was tinged with that reality.”
He said it was a privilege to have had his mother for so much of his lifetime. “She lived a long and fruitful life, was very devout to her beliefs and it was a privilege to have had her for that length.”
The Taoiseach added that it was heart-rending to see some of the bereavements where young mothers in particular were taken away. “That is something that is unbearable for those families involved,” he added.
Mr Kenny said families up and down the country had to endure awful personal loss every day in different circumstances.
“I attended at the funeral of that young woman from Ballina, Mrs [Sandra] Herbert, who was drowned unfortunately along with her 14-year-old [daughter, Rachel]. And to see those two beautiful people laid out puts it in perspective,” he said.
Turning to problems with which the Republic is grappling, the Taoiseach said that emigration was a huge problem and that was why it was so important to get the public finances sorted out.
“This is something I have seen as a child on so many occasions. Where I come from, emigration was endemic, unfortunately, for economic reasons,” he said.
Mr Kenny added that young people contacted him from the US, from Canada, from Australia on a regular basis.
“My preference obviously is to have a situation where they can have jobs and careers here, but young people will always want to be where the action is.”
He said that young people were in contact with each other, through text and email, encouraging each other to go where the opportunities were. “I want to rectify our problem and provide those opportunities here.”
Mr Kenny said that there was great potential in this State, but so many years had been wasted and public money had not been spent wisely.
“We are not going to sort out our public finances problem unless we make decisions about it. You can’t just walk in and say I am going to fix this. It is only going to get worse unless you deal with it and the choices are unpalatable.
“I find, genuinely, from talking to people [that] they know this. In many ways the public are ahead of the political process and they wanted it sorted out.”
He said that when the public finances were no longer €18 billion off line there would be a real opportunity for the economy to grow. “What I want to see is that the engine . . . is made more efficient by changing the structure and delivery of services for people for the taxes that they pay.”