Leader's speech (edited): Introduction/Ladies and gentlemen, standing here before you tonight, I feel a tremendous sense of pride and I'd like to tell you why.
I'm proud to be here as the leader of the youngest political party in Ireland which, last December, celebrated only its 20th birthday.
I'm really proud that in the short time frame of just two decades, the Progressive Democrats have played a key role in changing the face of Ireland for the better.
We believe there is no problem too great, no reform too complex, no challenge too daunting, for this country to solve. That goes for the national finances, jobs, the North, health, justice, insurance, the environment.
We are very keen to develop the great new potential of North-South economic co- operation. We warmly salute the dedication of the Taoiseach towards achieving the full benefits of the Good Friday agreement.
Liberation from restraints of the past
The driving force of this party is to seize opportunity for the future of our country. We are not defined by ideologies and divisions of the past.
The founding purpose of this party was a liberation from the restraints of the past and an embrace of new solutions for the future.
And I don't just mean the political restraints of the past like the Civil War. I mean the economic restraints, for example, high tax rates, restrictive practices, anti-consumer barriers, anti-competition rules.
And I mean the social restraints too - those that allowed abuses of power to go unchallenged - the secrecy, the intolerance and the isolation of the past.
Like you, I find reading the reports into child abuse shocking and disturbing. Those who were in a position of trust betrayed children and their parents appallingly.
But the inquiries, like the Ferns report, are necessary so that we do all in our power to ensure those abuses never happen again. We owe this to the victims and we owe it especially to the children of today and tomorrow. We salute the courage of those who came forward to reveal the truth, people like one of our guest speakers today, Colm O'Gorman.
Economic vs life quality
Ladies and gentlemen, we can be proud we have one of the best economies in the world. But some politicians want to convince you we now have a successful economy and yet a failing society. That's nonsense. It shows a blinkered vision and a failure of confidence on their part.
We definitely had a failing society when we faced unemployment, emigration and falling living standards in the 1980s. That was the result of bad economic policies.
This party remains rooted in the belief that social progress and economic success go together. They are one and the same.
Work of reform
With reform and resources, all becomes possible. This party is in the serious business of reform. Substantial reform, big changes, real results.
After the last election, we tackled insurance reform. The cost of motor and business insurance was crippling. We put in the detailed work, it took a number of years, and we got the results. We have saved people hundreds of millions of euros in car insurance.
And for the first time also, we have made real progress in fighting the curse of compo culture.
At the last election too, many people were waiting for years for hip replacements. Now, with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, most people will get an appointment after no more than three months. There are those who opposed it, but would they abolish it now and turn back the clock to the bad old days of endless waiting lists?
Reform never happens overnight. It was never quick or easy to get lasting reform, from taxation to taxis.
There is no magic wand available to me, or to any other minister in this Government - or the next, let me tell you.
Reforming health and A&E
I am determined that the can-do, confident spirit of Ireland today will reach all areas of health.
I passionately believe the people of our country can, and will, get the top-quality health services they expect, across the board, for the money they are putting in.
We have the resources now, and we will continue to have more resources. We have about 15,000 hospital beds, and we will provide more. But one more thing is certain in health: we need change. And we can do it, together.
In health now, it's not a question of just doing more of the same: it is a question of reform for more and better services, faster services, higher-quality services. But let's also recognise the areas in health where we are making real progress. We have improved cancer services greatly. We have much better cardiac care. We are now expanding services for people with disabilities more than ever.
And, yes, our accident and emergency services will be improved, hospital by hospital, because the public rightly demand and deserve it.
There are 53 acute public hospitals in the country, some 35 have A&E departments. About 10 of these have had consistent difficulties. Each is being addressed urgently by the HSE.
No one, particularly no older person, should be left to sleep on a trolley overnight in a corridor. We are going to put an end to that. People will have to be seen faster at A&E and have real alternatives to A&E in the evenings and daytime.
And when people are finished hospital care, they will be helped to move from hospital, with care support at home or in step-down or long-term care beds.
These are the things that will improve A&E services. They will work and I am determined to stick at it. After the Lourdes Hospital report, there is also reforming work to be done to protect patients. The terrible harm done to women must never be repeated.
This year, I will bring forward legislation for the first complete overhaul of regulation of the medical profession. Progressive doctors want this overhaul.
There will be a majority of lay people on the Medical Council, because I strongly believe patients and the public interest must come first, for this profession, as for all professions. This is no threat to doctors or to any professional. It is a simply a safeguard to the public.
Economic policy differences with opponents
The resources to work with reform will come from economic success and the right economic policies. Our political opponents want us all to believe that the economy and your working lives - will be fine no matter who is in government.
Not because they have better economic policies than ours - no, actually because they promise to mimic our successful economic policies, the ones they used to oppose, including our low-tax policies.
We're flattered. The trouble is, I don't think they really understand our economic and tax policies. And I don't think they are really committed to them.
Does anyone really believe that a government without the Progressive Democrats would follow the same tax and economic policies as a government with the Progressive Democrats?
We'll get the private sector to create 1,000 new public hospital beds, at less than half the cost of doing things the old way. We'll have both the private and public sector investing in new hospitals and new public beds. But they say, 'Stop it! Stop private investment at all costs!' They insist the taxpayers alone must foot the entire bill for new public hospital beds - including reserved private beds too.
That's just typical - ideology first, solutions last.
On transport, we encourage new private bus services. They defend old monopolies.
We strongly support the sale of Great Southern Hotels and Aer Lingus. We'll allow them to blossom in the full freedom of the open sun.
Our opponents would keep them in the shade and feed them fertiliser.
We believe scarce taxpayers' money should be invested in schools and hospitals as a priority. They insist taxpayers must invest hundreds of millions of euros in State airplanes, staying in the dwindling club of now only five of 25 EU members with this model.
Let's not forget, we gave freedom to Cork and Shannon airports not to kowtow to Dublin. They don't even trust Shannon to run an airport for the mid-west.
Tax policy differences
And, of course, we actually delivered the low taxes. For 20 years, they opposed every single tax cut, but now say they agree.
For them, it's low tax through gritted teeth. Grudging low tax. Resentful low tax. Low tax - just for now, just for the election. It sounds to me like they'd increase taxes as soon as their economic policies didn't generate enough resources for their spending spree.
For them, spending comes first and only if you can afford low taxes, well then, low tax might be tolerated for a while.
For us, it's the opposite. We power the economy with low tax. Low tax rewards people's hard work. It encourages investment.
It promotes risk-taking and enterprise and this generates the tremendous resources we now have for public spending.
Low tax is always in the agenda. We cannot stand still. We should continue to reduce tax on work and effort.
They say all the fruits of economic success should go to increased government spending. We say the people have a right to tax back, as well as improved public services.
Open, tolerant economy and society
There is another difference that goes beyond economic policy: this government gave full rights to all EU citizens to come and work in our country. Our opponents now think out loud about taking away those rights and play to fears about immigration.
In this party, we emphatically reject politics that play to fear and suspicion of foreigners.
This scaremongering is a poison. The challenge of real political leadership is to create positive common ground with all people, not to pander to the lowest common denominator. That would be a real and dangerous race to the bottom.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a great country. Around the world, people admire Ireland and what we have done here. Who among us has not felt a soaring sense of pride about the success of Irish people, young and old, in science, music, theatre, sport, business and the economy? By managing the economy well, we will have all the resources we need for change.
The improvements we seek in health, transport, education, housing and childcare are well under way. We will get them right, with hard work in government; with dedication in this party; and with reform and resources together - not one without the other.
Now is the time to cast off more restraints of the past and reach our true potential in all these areas; for every child's education; for every patient's care; for every old person needing support; for every person having the opportunity of a good job.