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Speech at Cork Election Rally, Jan 28th 2011
Last updated on 31 Jan, 2011
Summary:
This is a moment of truth for our party and our nation. The
events of recent days and weeks have been tumultuous
for Fianna Fail – but the challenges that the Irish people
have faced in recent times makes political events pale by
comparison.
I know the task ahead will not be easy. This election will be
into a headwind of gale force. But I have never shrunk from
difficult decisions before, and I promise you tonight that we
will meet this headwind with a campaign as vigorous and
full of ideas as any Fianna Fail has ever waged.
I sought the leadership of Fianna Fáil because I believe
the our party has a unique and positive role to play in our
country’s future.
In a rush to dismiss and stereotype Fianna Fáil, its
opponents have always missed the true spirit which has
been central to its support.
Our party was founded by a revolutionary generation
which understood the need for a radical change in both its
programme and its approach to politics. At our core we are
a republican and nationalist party, and that commitment
remains at the center of what we believe. Our outward
looking approach to engagement with international
institutions and other nations for trade and commerce is
unmatched by any other party in Irish politics.
Fianna Fáil has always believed in a sensible middle-way,
which understands that a commitment to both economic
growth and social progress must go hand-in-hand.
That is why every significant expansion in education
participation has come as a result of Fianna Fáil initiatives.
Mine is a generation which has had unprecedented
opportunities because of the far-sighted decisions of Fianna
Fáil ministers through the years. We chose to support
Fianna Fáil because of a record and programme unmatched
by any other party.
Fianna Fáil has always been bigger than its leaders. The
organisation is made up of ordinary people who work in
their communities and take nothing from politics except a
sense of making a contribution.
In the coming weeks we will have one of the most
important general elections in our history.
Even in the middle of a crisis of this scale there are a lot of
choices to be made and there are major differences between
the parties in how they should be tackled.
For this election the public deserve a campaign which is as
serious and comprehensive as the issues to be decided.
The Fine Gael and Labour parties are running campaigns
which assume they have an automatic right to power. They
are glossing over deeply fundamental differences and
focusing on the only issue which seems to energise them –
which jobs they will have after the election.
They don’t want an election - they want a coronation, and
I am determined they will not get away with this affront
to the Irish people. We will meet them everyday in this
campaign, by offering real plans to lead Ireland to a better
future.
I am proud of my own record as a minister and believe it
stands up to scrutiny.
In education I implemented the first national programme
to support children with special needs in all schools and
helped tens of thousands of adults to overcome literacy
problems. Programmes of investment and reform were put
in place in every part of the system.
In health, I led into law the first national workplace
smoking ban in the world. Today it is emulated elsewhere,
and is improving the health of thousands and saving lives.
And under my leadership the record shows a health system
which treated more people, faster and with better outcomes
because of the changes I introduced.
In enterprise, I implemented a series of policies which have
been vital to the strong export performance which will lead
to sustained economic recovery.
In foreign affairs I refocused our diplomatic resources on
the support of economic opportunities and ensured that we
have robustly supported the peace settlement.
I have seen first hand the new, highly competitive global
economy as Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
and as Foreign Minister. It is a tough environment,
with real winners and losers. But I know that with our
advantages, Ireland can win this economic competition,
if we choose the right leaders and implement the right
policies.
I have no difficulty in accepting errors in the record of the
governments I have served in – but I will not accept the
attempt to dismiss Fianna Fáil and avoid a credible national
debate about the future. The people of this country deserve
a real debate about where we need to go and how best
to get there. That is the campaign they will get from us,
even as the opposition spends all their time in the weeks
ahead as they have in the years before, offering nothing
but a catalog of complaints, empty criticisms and endless
politics.
Earlier today I issued a challenge to Enda Kenny and
Eamon Gilmore to meet me in a series of leaders debates
during the campaign. Let’s have a campaign which is as
serious as the issues facing our country. If they want to go
beyond the sterile politics of soundbites and fake fury then
they will accept my challenge.
In the campign ahead, Fianna Fáil will lay out a clear and
credible plan to address the core issues which concern the
people. The four year budget plan is obviously central to
this, but there is more we must do. We offer real plans
for a better future; Our opponents offer empty promises,
conflicting policies, and an endless supply of politics as
usual. That is why we will meet them in this campaign, and
why in the end the people will choose leaders who have a
clear plan, and the conviction to stick to it. We need leaders
with the courage to lead, not bickering politicians who say
only what they think the voters want to hear.
In the short time ahead I give you my guarantee that we
will run a strong national campaign. We will support you
in your work in every constituency. I will undertake a full
national tour and be available to both local and national
media.
I have already talked to the General Secretary about various
practical preparations.
election team which I will announce after I put in place a
new frontbench.
I intend putting in place a full
For the next few weeks we have to focus completely on
the election, but I want to assure you I am determined that
we will also renew our organisation, with a strong national
executive at its heart. We will come back to this very soon.
Ireland can and will recover. We must ensure that this
recovery takes the form of sustained job creation as well as
more practical help for people.
And we must renew our commitment to the radical reform
which was synonymous with Fianna Fáil through most of
its history. 21st century Ireland has to modernise its system
of government and find new ways of engaging its citizens.
I pledge as leader of Fianna Fail to make that renewal a
reality.
So let us go from here, united not just by our tradition and
ties, but our shared values and priorities. We understand
people are suffering – but the only way to a better future
is to take the tough decisions in our plan, not make things
worse with Fine Gael and Labour’s conflicting policies and
empty politics as usual.
We will make the case that our plan will lead Ireland to
a better future, and I ask you all to join me in this cause.
What is at stake is not just the outcome of an election -
our very future is on the line. We owe it to ourselves, to
our children and to those who founded this party and this
nation and made it great, to give every ounce of effort to
convincing every person we meet on the doorstep that we
are worthy of their tust and confidence. If we do that in the
days ahead, we will confound the pundits and the political
class. And most of all, we will ensure that Ireland will
return to the prosperity and hope for the future that is our
common cause.