Will Fine Gael really answer Ireland's call when the whistle blows?

ANDREW B. MCKEOWN, Editor

Today, Sunday 20^th February, around 1,000 people gathered in the Atrium of the Aviva stadium for the last of a series of Fine Gael public meetings. Party leader Enda Kenny was joined on stage by the FG Dublin candidates and spoke of Fine Gael’s Five point plan, summarised as:

1.Protecting and Creating Jobs
2. Introducing Better, Fairer Budgets to keep taxes low
3. Creating a completely New Health System
4. A Smaller, Better Government
5. Transforming the Political System

“There is hope and, on Friday, the Irish people can vote for a plan to get Ireland working”, Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny, told a public meeting in the Aviva Stadium today. Lucinda Creighton likened Fine Gael to the Aviva stadium itself, declaring that FG is made of a combination of hard work, inspiration and action. There were several more sports references, with George Hook and Enda Kenny both referring to FG’s “team” and Enda said that “Fine Gael will always answer Ireland’s call”

The atrium was filled with cheering Fine Gael supporters who ardently showed their support for the party leader who, as told by George Hook “raised the tattered party standard and raised it higher than before”. Enda stated that “On Friday, I’m asking people to vote with pride. Pride in who we are and in what we can be. I’m asking people to turn their anger into action and vote proudly for something, not against” Enda promised reform and a freedom from the fetters of the corruption of  the old economic system which had “Micháel Martin’s fingerprints all over it” . The party speakers promised to “change Ireland with the permission and mandate of the people”  and assured the potential voters of the honesty, industriousness and integrity of their candidates. Enda Kenny said he will not draw any money from his teachers pension, and has challenged Fianna Fail leader Micháel Martin to resign from his own teaching position in the morning. Mr Kenny also professed that he will not accept any money from his teachers pension despite 'paying into it for many years.'

 Enda Kenny was responding to comments on This Week on RTÉ Radio 1 by Mr. Martin that he should explain what he intended to do about a €100,000 payment he was entitled to from his pension fund. During his speech today Mr Kenny included a rebuttal:  “I have not drawn one red cent from my teaching position in over two decades”, he said he had resigned from his post many years ago and it had been filled by a 'full time' teacher. 'Mr Kenny, a former school teacher, spent several years teaching before becoming a full time politician.

When the speech was over, Enda was surrounded by the Fine Gael youth, who donned yellow t-shirts emblazoned with the Fine Gael logo and wielded signs of Fine Gael's 5 point plan. These young fanatics reminded me of the Blueshirts of the past, who kept the media and crowd at bay. Thankfully, due to my fairly short stature and crowd infiltrating skills, I managed to get past these zealous soldiers to ask FG leader Enda Kenny a qyestion. When put with the question of why young people should vote for Fine Gael, Mr. Kenny told Irish Youth Time reporters Andrew McKeown and Tom Lawlor that “ they should vote for  Fine Gael because we’re addressing the needs of our young people, we’re very proud of them, our focus is entirely on jobs and career oppurtunities. We want to send a message out to those who are away and abroad to watch this space because we’re going to change the way that business is done in Ireland. That’s why they should vote for Fine Gael.” He promised to all present that “If you honour us, I will guarantee that we will deliver” 

Support for Fine Gael has increased since the election campaign began, according to recent polls, which also shows that Enda Kenny is now the preferred choice for Taoiseach.