Michael Noonan has spelt out his vision for the future of Ireland as Fine Gael prepares for the general election campaign. Addressing his party's Ard Fheis, the Fine Gael leader also apologised once again for his handling of the Brigid McCole case, and challenged the Taoiseach to a television debate on abortion.
The Fine Gael leader declared: "You can run, Taoiseach, but you can’t hide." The speech is seen by party strategists as a vital part of the Fine Gael general election campaign. With the election looming, it was a key opportunity for Mr Noonan to put his case directly to the electorate. He used the opportunity to castigate the record of the current government, as well as outlining his alternative.
In the speech, which set the agenda for a possible Fine Gael-led government, he spoke about public services, health and crime, and promised prudent financial management. Mr Noonan said that the abortion referendum was unnecessary and should be rejected out of hand. He challenged the Taoiseach to a head-to-head television debate on the issue.
Attempting to deal once and for all with the controversy over his treatment of Hepatitis C sufferer Brigid McCole, Mr Noonan admitted that he had made a mistake. He expressed his deep regret and apologised to the McCole family for the grief caused to them. He said that it had been one of the most significant experiences of his personal and political life and he promised that any government he led would not make a similar mistake in the future.
Earlier, the Ard Fheis passed a motion criticising the Government for using the abortion referendum as an insensitive ploy to distract attention from failures elsewhere. Fine Gael health spokesman Gay Mitchell told the Ard Fheis that the Government has presided over chaos and has extended apartheid in the health services. He promised what he called an imaginative, costed health reform package, which, he said, would work and which would be the party's priority in government.
Fine Gael TD for Sligo Leitrim, Gerry Reynolds criticised what he called a visionless, talentless Dublin-focused government which did not care about the West of Ireland. He said that the West needed roads, housing and industry if it was to survive. He also said that a university was needed in the Northwest, if the brain drain to the East Coast was to be stopped.
In another development, delegates at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis voted in favour of significant changes to the way in which the party leader is elected. Under the proposed system, the leader would face re-election every two years by an electoral college made up of the parliamentary party and representatives from the constituencies and regions.
The recommendations must now be approved by postal ballot before the party constitution is amended. However, this is unlikely to happen before the General Election. Alan Dukes said that he would not be happy with the proposed system. The former party leader said that it would not in any case have led to a different result in the most recent leadership contest.
John Delamere, of the party's National Executive, warned that, in the run-up to an election, the proposals would be seen as an attempt to re-open the leadership issue.
The Ard Fheis also recommended changes to the system for dealing with motions of no confidence in the party leadership. It called for the support of five members of the parliamentary party to support such a motion. Under the current system, an individual member of the parliamentary system can call a no confidence vote. Another proposed change would see any potential coalition approved by a special conference. The party's Ard Fheis is being held at the City West Hotel in Saggart.
Click here to watch Michael Noonan's speech in its entirety.
