Greetings from the Fine Gael Ard Fheis at Chez Mansfield in Saggart. Kenny’s opening speech contained the usual pep about the party’s team of candidates heading into the local and European elections. 75 local candidates are under 35 years of age. Kenny also boasted that one in five candidates are women, which doesn’t seem like something to boast about but such is the low level of participation by women in Irish politics.
But Kenny didn’t spend long bigging up his own party and swiftly moved to attacking Fianna Fáil for its mismanagement of the economy and not forseeing the current turmoil.
However, his main theme this evening was the health service. He outlined three phases of a reform plan that will see more people treated outside hospital by their GPs and changes to the way doctors are paid (a ‘money follows the patient’ scheme). The third phase provides for a ‘Universal Health Insurace’ system based on what they have in Canada, the Netherlands and other countries. It would see everyone have mandatory private health insurance, either subsidised or fully paid for by the state.
All that jars with the policy of likely coalition partners Labour but nothing new there. Stay tuned for other clashes with Labour this weekend – maybe even a few swipes directed at them.
Other focuses of attention will be Lucinda Creighton and Ulick Burke, after they had words with Kenny at a recent parliamentary party meeting. Apparently, the air has been cleared but perhaps we can expect an awkward photo-op with Lucinda and Enda ‘casually’ having a cup of tea in the lobby tomorrow. Lucinda is centre-stage for the international affairs session tonight so the whole business might get a mention then.
Richard Bruton – roundly regarded as the party’s greatest asset right now – will be centre of attention for the televised session tomorrow morning. Let’s hope he offers something more interesting than last year.
Finally, Fine Gael brand new logo is on display everywhere this weekend. What do you make of it?
I thought the old one was grand.
More tomorrow.
UPDATE: Kenny kissed Creighton on the cheek after his speech. Don’t think she was expecting it. There’s yer photo-op.
[...] Yellow Roman Candles has its view of the opening ceremony also. [...]