Media is to blame for poor rating, says Harney

The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, has warned that the Coalition can't be governed by opinion polls and has blamed media coverage of the O'Flaherty appointment to the European Investment Bank for her own performance in yesterday's Irish Times/MRBI survey.

"There is a tendency in the context of coalition governments to blame small parties when things go wrong," the Tanaiste said in Galway. "I can't veto every appointment. If the public want me to make all the decisions, they will have to give me more support."

Clearly the appointment of Mr O'Flaherty had been unpopular, judging from the opinion poll, but the decision had been made in good faith and endorsed by the Government, and it was a "Christian thing to give someone a second chance". The subject had not been "involved in criminal activity or anything like it", she added, referring to Mr O'Flaherty.

"But we must move on from it. There are far more important issues in the country, and I would predict three or four months from now . . . would anyone remember this? The public's memory can often be a short-term one." However, she was determined that this Government would go its "full term".

Commenting on the defection of Senator Helen Keogh to Fine Gael, and criticism of the party chairman's reaction to that move voiced by a Cork PD county councillor, Mr Peter Kelly, Ms Harney said if people wished to leave the party this was "the time to do it".

She did not wish to have "ongoing dissatisfaction" as this would "not be satisfactory, nor would it be fair". However, she did not believe Cllr Kelly intended to quit.

Ms Harney said Senator Keogh should resign her Seanad seat, as she had been a Taoiseach's nominee on the Tanaiste's recommendation. It was "the honourable thing to do", in her view, given that it was a Government seat, and she felt "very strongly" about it. She was "very surprised" that Ms Keogh had not resigned from the Seanad already.

The political party which Senator Keogh joined was down in the opinion polls, Ms Harney said. "So let's be real about this. The Opposition are not making an impact. The Government could not have had a more difficult month. I could not have had a more difficult month.

"Virtually every single day I have been the subject of adverse publicity across the media, particularly in the print media," she said, and the public had been affected by this. But the poll's figures were not going to depress her, she said. The results would make her more determined to play a role in government. This would involve implementing key decisions such as that related to decentralisation, to which she had a very strong commitment.

Commenting on the poll's 13-point drop in her own personal rating, the Tanaiste said she had recorded a lower level than that before, and reiterated that this result was due to "intensive media comment" over the last month on the O'Flaherty appointment. However, she did not believe that it had had a negative influence on the party.

Support for the Progressive Democrats had been maintained in the poll, at 4 per cent, and she was "pleased about that". If satisfaction ratings of party leaders were so significant, there would not be such a huge gap between the party and the leader's ratings, she added.

Inflation and the outcome of the tribunals were the most serious political issues, in her view, and the public was concerned that tough action would be taken in relation to those found guilty of wrongdoing. The public would witness this "tough action", she promised.

The PDs were playing a very important role in government, and the party had its difficulties. "We are a small party, and like any small business it is always going to be more competitive and more difficult."