PRESS CONFERENCE:THE FINE Gael front bench was a mixture of experience and youth that was both credible and inclusive, party leader Enda Kenny said. He said he looked forward to leading them into the election.
Former finance spokesman and unsuccessful leadership challenger Richard Bruton expressed confidence in Mr Kenny, adding that he was “excited” about his role as spokesman on enterprise, including public service reform.
Newly appointed deputy leader Dr James Reilly said he would relish the challenge and opportunity of co-ordinating policy among the front bench, which has increased from 19 to 21 members.
Former frontbenchers Michael Creed, Olivia Mitchell, Brian Hayes, Billy Timmins, Denis Naughten and Olwyn Enright were not reappointed and, when asked if he was concerned they might be waiting in the long grass to strike after the next adverse opinion poll, Mr Kenny said: “There’s no long grass; it was all cut a couple of weeks ago.”
Asked if his Gaeltacht spokesman had any Irish, he said Frank Feighan had told him he would be taking a course in the language: “Tá sé ráite aige dom cheana féin go mbeidh cúrsa Gaeilge á leanúint aige.”
Mr Kenny told a news conference in the Merrion Hotel: “This group represents a mixture of experience and youth, of gender and geography. It is committed as a team to exercise energy and enthusiasm about the challenge that we face.”
Alluding to last month’s difficulties, he said: “I said before the recent motion of confidence in my own leadership . . . I would, insofar as was possible, be inclusive in my response, put all of that behind us and focus on the future with a sense of positiveness, [and that] is what I’ve tried to do.”
Referring specifically to Mr Bruton’s portfolio of enterprise, jobs and economic planning (including public service reform), he said it “includes work that Richard has already done in public service reform and this is an area that I intend to create a full ministry out of at Cabinet level when Fine Gael achieve government”.
He highlighted the appointment of Michael Noonan as finance spokesman; the former leader was “a person with a long and serious involvement in Irish politics”.
Mr Kenny said that, as deputy leader, Dr Reilly would “deal specifically with the co-ordination of Fine Gael policy as evolved through the Fine Gael front bench and the parliamentary party and have the added responsibility of seeing that these policies are actually implemented and followed through by our representatives”.
Mr Kenny said he looked forward to leading this team “as we enter the last lap of the period before the forthcoming general election. Before our eyes, the stability of this Government is unravelling, the anxiety and the concerns and the mistrust that is there is an indication that its days are numbered”.
Mr Bruton was asked if he had full confidence in Mr Kenny: “Absolutely, I am fully confident. The parliamentary party made its decision on that: that decision is past . . . I can make a real contribution to bringing forward an economic strategy that will help people who are now under such strain and I really am excited about the role that I have been asked to play.”