PRESS CONFERENCE:THERE MUST be an end to "bickering" in Fine Gael and the party needs to move forward in "a unified, strong and cohesive fashion", party leader Enda Kenny has said.
He told reporters at Leinster House yesterday that the withdrawal of support by his deputy leader and finance spokesman put him in an “impossible position” and he was therefore relieving Richard Bruton of those positions.
Recalling his own support for Mr Bruton’s brother, John, as party leader, he said: “I know what it’s like to have the internal conflict that leaves such devastating results for any political party.”
Speaking without notes and departing from the typewritten statement issued simultaneously, Mr Kenny said: “Over the course of the past weekend I’ve had a number of conversations with my deputy leader Richard Bruton, spokesman on finance, including a meeting face to face yesterday evening after I travelled from Castlebar.
“I spoke to Richard again today. And during these conversations I tried to persuade him that he should desist from any action that would inflict damage on the Fine Gael party and as a consequence on our supporters.
“He confirmed to me that he could no longer support me and in that context I am placed in an impossible position of moving a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach in the Dáil tomorrow and cannot have a situation where my deputy leader does not offer his support for me.
“This is very regretful and very disappointing. I’ve been a great friend of Richard Bruton’s for 25 years and politics will not interfere with that friendship. I am left with no choice but to relieve Richard of his duties as spokesman on finance and as deputy leader of the party and I have informed him to that effect.
“I intend to transfer the responsibilities for the finance portfolio, for the moment, to the deputy spokesman on finance, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, to deal with the issue tomorrow and the banking motion that Fine Gael have down on Wednesday,” he said yesterday.
“I want to say that, on the first occasion of my election as leader of the Fine Gael party, the biggest challenge facing me was to bind up the wounds of conflict that were engendered internally in the Fine Gael party. I was that soldier. And I defended and supported Richard’s brother, John, on three occasions. I know what it’s like to have the internal conflict that leaves such devastating results for any political party.”
Calling for an end to “this bickering” in the party, he said: “I cannot tell you of the scale of damage that is done by unnamed spokespersons, unnamed people, unnamed public representatives, making comments to the detriment of the Fine Gael party.
“To that extent, I have taken the initiative myself and I have contacted the chairman of the parliamentary party, Deputy Pádraic McCormack, I have forwarded him a motion of confidence in my own name and that of the whip.
“The chairman is entitled to use his discretion as chairman of the parliamentary party to convene a special meeting to deal with this. I expect that he will do that this week, probably on Thursday at a time of his calling.”
He had initiated a motion of confidence in himself for Thursday’s meeting. Early next week, he intended to make “further announcements about personnel changes for front bench, etc”.
Asked if had sufficient support to win a leadership contest, Mr Kenny said: “I expect this matter will be concluded on Thursday and I expect to win the vote, yes.”
Asked if he was taking this approach because he could not carry his own front bench, he replied: “The rules and the regulations of the Fine Gael party are that it is the parliamentary party that makes these decisions.”
Mr Kenny added: “I’ve got to rebuild the party in a sense of unity. As I’ve said, I was that soldier before, I wore that T-shirt, it’s not a nice position to be in and whatever happens after Thursday I expect to be in a position to rebuild the party again, using all our talents.”