Year of positivity can win us election – Kenny

Year of positivity can win us election - Kenny


An Taoiseach Enda Kenny invited The Mayo News to Government Buildings last week where he was pressed on some issues of the day and his hopes for re-election, in a General Election he believes will take place in March 2016

Interview
Michael Duffy

These are familiar surroundings for Enda Kenny after four years as Taoiseach in his Government Buildings office.
Having just left the DΡil Chamber after a relatively quiet Leaders Questions on Wednesday afternoon last, he greeted The Mayo News with a warm handshake in the plush office where he has taken some hard decisions since assuming the role as leader of the country on March 9, 2011.
The 2016 election, he believes, is now less that 50 weeks away, and you can sense in the corridors of power that the ante is about to be upped from all sides.
No politician will ever admit to taking much heed of opinion polls but for the media and the public in general, they are a snapshot of where the public’s mind is at.
In June of last year, support for the Government parties was as low as 25 percent collectively, and even last December, a Millward Brown poll still had them as low as 27 percent.
However, 2015 has seemingly put a pep in the step of the coalition and a Red C poll on March 28 has Fine Gael and Labour at a healthy 37 percent overall, with Fine Gael themselves at 27 percent, 9 points ahead of Fianna FΡil and 10 points ahead of Sinn Féin.
After four years of receiving the wrath of the Irish public after a series of austerity budgets, does the Castlebar-born Taoiseach think the tide is turning back towards his Government?
“I have never had an interest in opinion polls. They are merely an indicator, that’s all. To me the real opinion polls are the tangible facts, the growing creation of jobs, the number of planning permissions, the number of commercial vans being sold, the signs that the Irish people are regaining confidence.”
The Government is very aware of the anger among the public due to the many measures  introduced to try and get the country’s economy back on track, but there is no doubt this coalition is now in prime position to continue in power after next year’s election.
Bookmaker Paddy Power has Enda Kenny as short at 4/11 to be the Taoiseach after the next election, a situation which seemed inconceivable only last summer when it looked like it was only a matter of time before a General Election would lead to a change in Government.
“We are going to serve our full term, there will no snap election, and we are going to do our best to ensure that 2016 is going to be a good economic year. There is going to be a lot of very good news, there is a lot of things we have to do before the summer as a Government and we need to serve our full term.
“We have to meet with all departments ahead of the budget in October, then we will have the Finance Bill, and in January 2016 we hope to be able to put extra money in people’s pockets as a result of the changes being implemented. We will then have the election and the people themselves will have to decide what is best for the country.
“All the other options for Government are tax and spend but our Government has a clear plan.
“We have spent our time in Government fixing the economy. Our borrowing has gone down from €22 billion to €5 billion, it will be gone entirely by 2018, and we will then put in the infrastructure so that Mayo, and all parts of the country, will have a great future. The people have the chance to make this country great again. They should hold on to it.
“With the changes to the DΡil numbers, a lesser number will be needed for a majority. This Government is Fine Gael and Labour together and I am not looking beyond that.”


Mayo ticket to be finalised before summer

In Mayo, the rumour mill is still in overdrive with regard to the make up of the Fine Gael ticket for next year’s General Election. However,  the Taoiseach confirmed last week that all matters will likely be decided before the DΡil breaks for the summer.
“We will be making our decision with regard to candidates in Mayo before the summer and we will have our conventions over by the end of June. There are always ten or 15 constituencies that are going to be difficult and Mayo will be one of these as the constituency is going from five to four seats. Negotiations are ongoing and we will be doing what we feel is the best approach to maximise the vote for the party in Mayo.”
Only two weeks ago, headlines revealed that internal Fine Gael documents drawn up by the Fine Gael national executive had mentioned that a perceived ‘lack of delivery’ was threatening the Taoiseach’s own seat in Castlebar. Kenny’s response is that throughout his political career, he has been reading headlines of his imminent demise, but once again he is more than happy to let the people decide his fate.
“Next November, I will be a public representative for 40 years, and each and every election I have let the people of Mayo decide if they want me to be a voice for them. I can’t control what the papers write, I don’t write the headlines, but they are part and parcel of politics.
“In terms of delivery, in Castlebar, the IDA will construct a €5 million facility at the IDA business park on the Breaffy Road. This has the potential to attract up to 400 jobs and construction on this will begin before the end of the year. The town will also benefit from the construction of the €12 million Outdoor Pursuits Centre and from the €11 million Sacred Heart Hospital, and the beginning of the new €180 million N5 project from Turlough. Together, all these projects will improve the town. There are also numerous smaller projects to go ahead like upgrades to Mayo General Hospital in the Renal Dialysis Unit, the Cystic Fibrosis Unit and the Maternity Unit; the Turlough Greenway and funding for road improvements at Newline and the Newport Road. All of these will make Castlebar a better place to live and work.”


Job creation continues to be Government’s priority

Also last month, newspaper headlines announced the creation of 250 jobs for Castlebar, which in normal circumstances would have brought huge kudos for the Taoiseach.
However, doubts were subsequently raised over the plan announced by businessman Declan Conway and his OpenSparkz company but Kenny said at no time did he look to distance himself from the project.
“The reality is I meet people all the time who want to invest in Ireland, and in this instance the group wanted to invest in Mayo. I met Declan Conway twice, once in Mayo and then again in Washington.
“At his launch, he had the President of NUI Galway with him and a number of very experienced international businessmen who believe in the project.
“This announcement is a different social model to what people would be used to; it is a radical proposal and I welcome the ambition shown. I hope that it comes to fruition, Mr Conway has a number of companies that are part of the set up and the potential is there to create 250 jobs for Castlebar.”
Deputy Kenny likens the OpenSparkz project to the huge announcement last week for the Centre Parcs development in Longford.
“It’s a similar situation to Center Parcs, who are announcing the potential for 1,000 jobs but you do have to wait for about three years for them to come through.
“The Center Parcs Resort project is one of the largest infrastructure projects to take place in Ireland in recent years and involves an investment in the region of €200 million in a large tourist destination. It is estimated that that there will be 1,000 sustainable long term jobs created in the resort along with 750 jobs during the construction phase and like the OpenSparkz project, there is huge potential for the region in general.
“I believe there can also be positive effects for Knock Airport from last week’s announcement. The proposed new Center Parcs development in Ballymahon is just over 50 miles from Ireland West Airport Knock. The park will be a family activity centre with self-catering log cabins, retail outlets, restaurants, spas and adventure centres for indoor and outdoor activities all year round. Centre parks target tourist in Britain and Europe (France, Spain, Germany etc.) as well as Ireland and Northern Ireland. This represents a great opportunity for Knock Airport. As the closest airport to one of the largest tourist developments in Ireland they will now have a chance to use this to their advantage to compete for business across Britain and Europe.”


Small and medium enterprise key to rural development

The creation of employment in Mayo and across the rest of the country is the Taoiseach main priority and he remains steadfast in his belief that the support of small and medium enterprises is the real key to job creation.
“We have created over 80 Government supports for local businesses and in recent weeks we have been in touch with businesses in Castlebar to let them know of a new website which explains exactly which of these supports are applicable to their business. We will also be in touch with other small business across the county to let them know of the availability of this service (www.localenterprise.ie/smelinetool/).
“All we have to do is look at a company like McHales in Ballinrobe, who are not just an Irish company but now a global business and a worldwide name. What we need in Mayo is another half dozen McHales in the next ten years, Irish grown companies that are able to expand and go global, and our job is make the environment conducive for other companies to be able to grow to that level. We need companies like Malone Engineering in Ballyglass, we need Irish grown companies operating in their own towns and providing employment for qualified local people, who in turn invest in their local economy and make it vibrant and sustainable. That’s the way forward.”
Despite this positivity, there has been a lot of focus in the media of late on the real threat to life in Ireland’s rural towns. There has been countless evidence of the closure of rural post offices, rural garda stations and rural schools, as well as the closure of small businesses on the main thoroughfares of small towns throughout the country.
“In the modern business world, it really is survival of the fittest and businesses in small towns cannot survive if no one is using them. Therefore they have to be attractive to people and move with the times, they have to be competitive and try and offer the quality of service that people now expect 24 hours a day.
“Our departments are continually trying to create the environment where these businesses can prosper and they need to be innovative. A hugely important part of this is the provision of top quality broadband and we are currently operating a pilot programme in the village of Belcarra where broadband is operating at a speed of 1,000 gigabytes per second, which is as good as anywhere in the country. We are hoping to provide a capital expenditure in the Budget which will means this can be rolled out across the country and that should be key to helping small businesses in rural towns.”
In relation to Garda recruitment, the Taoiseach said it was important to note that 250 gardai would be recruited over the next six months with further recruitment planned for next year. “We need to have sufficient numbers in the Gardai and we have made the commitment that the Garda college is open and will provide more Gardaí yearly as the economy improves.”
An Taoiseach also said that a Superintendent would be appointed to the Westport division as soon as possible.
“We still have vacancies in most levels at the ranks of Deputy Commissioner, Chief Supt, Supt and Sergeant and some of those have yet to be filled but of course there will be an arrangement to fill the vacancy in Westport.”


Home comforts evident in hectic lifestyle

Before departing the office of the Taoiseach, The Mayo News was given a quick tour of the office itself and all the historical memorabilia on display. Adorning the mantlepiece of the large fireplace beside where our interview was conducted are pictures of Deputy Kenny with US President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, a picture of Enda and Fionnula’s three children Aoibhinn, Naoise and Ferdia in Mayo colours ahead of a recent All-Ireland Final and a picture and short tribute to the late Lourdie Cafferkey from Achill, a loyal Fine Gael and Enda Kenny supporter up until her death in 2009.
“Lourdie was a great character and I am sure she would be proud to be sitting here next to Barack Obama in the Taoiseach’s office,” said the Taoiseach, while flicking through last week’s edition of The Mayo News, where he noted that his nephew Kevin Hastings had been picked as a player to watch for Westport in the Connaught Junior Rugby Cup Final.
“I hope to get a couple of days off over the Easter which I will spend relaxing at home in Castlebar but it will be all go from then until the summer recess. We have an awful lot of work to get through before then and the end of the year will be all about the budget and getting ready for the election.”

A day in the life

The following was An Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s schedule for last Wednesday, April 1.

8am to 10am - Meetings
10am to 11am - Interview at Collins Barracks with RTÉ’s SeΡn O’Rourke
11am to 12 noon - Prep time
12 noon to 1pm - Leaders’ Questions in DΡil Chamber
1pm to 2pm - Interview at Government Buildings with Michael Duffy, The Mayo News
2pm - Photo with Irish Guide Dogs for Autism Awareness Day
2.15pm - Visit from Overseas School
2.30pm - Meeting with Cystic Fibrosis Ireland
3pm - Radio Interview
4pm to 5.30pm - Meetings, Cabinet committees
5.30pm - Parliamentary Party Meeting
7pm to 8pm - Meetings
8pm to 10pm - Meeting with new Young Fine Gael National Executive
10 to 11pm - Phone calls