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HOUSING MINISTER SIMON COVENEY has said he believes Taoiseach Enda Kenny will make his departure date known by the summer.
When asked about the Fine Gael leadership battle, the minister told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he trusts Enda Kenny’s judgement to choose the right time to step aside.
“I suspect it will happen before the summer,” said the minister.
“I am very comfortable with letting Enda Kenny use his judgment on that… the Taoiseach is the person in charge of Fine Gael and government. I’m trusting he will use his judgement to get the timing right on that.”
Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar and Coveney – the two frontrunners in the leadership race (although other ministers such as Richard Bruton and Frances Fitzgerald are yet to formally make their intentions known) – are patiently waiting in the wings while Kenny bides his time.
There has been much speculation about when Kenny will step aside as Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach.
St Patrick’s Day visit has come and gone
Managing to stave off a motion of no confidence in his leadership among party members, the Taoiseach told his party he would make his intentions known following his return from his St Patrick’s Day trip to the White House.
However, while in New York he hinted to the media that there were a lot of issues he wanted to see through before he left the helm of the party – such as the formation of a government in Northern Ireland. That was a firm message to his possible successors that his departure date was being pushed out.
This was followed by Finance Minister Michael Noonan making comments that Kenny should stay on until the autumn. Noonan said he wants Kenny to stay on as Taoiseach past the initial Brexit negotiations until Ireland’s position is made clear.
However, there is really little appetite within the party for the Taoiseach to stay on until that late date.
Whatever date Kenny chooses, Coveney said he is “happy” to give the Taoiseach “the time and space” to make a decision.
But who is leading the pack?
According to the most recent poll published in the Irish Daily Mail today, support among Fine Gael voters is fairly tight.
If Varadkar is leader, the survey finds the party would take 60 seats in the next election – a significant jump of ten seats. Meanwhile, if Coveney was leader, the party would take 57 seats – up seven seats.
The survey finds that if there was an election today, with Kenny still in the driving seat, Fine Gael would take only 44 seats, a drop-off of six seats for the party.
Speaking on the radio this morning, Coveney said it is important that there is an “orderly transition” of the party leadership. He stated it is also important that the government continues to function during that time.
Although the leadership battle hasn’t officially launched, things have been going on in the background for some time now.
Just last week, Varadkar made his pitch in a newspaper article, where he outlined what tax policy he would pursue in the future.
So, how is Coveney’s campaign going?
Laughing it off when asked this question today, Coveney said, “there is no campaign up and running. I am focusing on a lot of work I have to do on water, housing and homelessness and a whole range of other things”.
“There will be a time when I am very focused on that,” he said, adding that he is getting on with the “serious business of being as good as I can be in government”.
Referencing the latest poll, he said: “There will be polls that will come and go.”
House prices
Coveney also hit back against calls for him to suspend the Government’s help-to-buy scheme, following claims it is fuelling the latest surge in house prices.
He said both the Central Bank and the Government spotted the same problem – that first-time buyers could not put a deposit together to buy a home.
Defending his scheme, the minister said people were being “locked into the private rental market” and builders were not building homes for that cohort of people as they knew they were not obtaining mortgages.
Coveney said the Government is not going to allow the same situation which happened during the boom to happen again, where first-time buyers were allowed borrow “ridiculous amounts of money”.
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Anyone else reckon enda has notions of himself still being taoiseach for the Papal visit?
Enda, who????
@The Risen: as long as its not the 267th pope!
@The Risen: What a bunch of spineless cowards they are in FG. Afraid to be seen as ‘pushing’ endless Enda who’s laughing at them (and us) all. He’s intent on hanging on until he gets his place in history as the longest serving FG Taoiseach.
@The Risen: He can’t wait to kiss the King fisher ring lol.
Covney , plank.
@Willy Malone: wow.
@Willy Malone: Coveney, defended the Garda boss and is a supporter of Water Charges. So it looks like Leo, is clear favourite and more suited to FG election chances.
@Willy Malone:
Coveney has been groomed by Sutherland for the eventual take-over.
98% of the people have no idea what’s going on…
@Charles Martel: correct… Only in the bubble of the Dublin media is varadker favourite. Stuffy top brass will never let it happen. Coveney a shoe in.
So its the summer now, then itll be christmas..
Hes not going anywhere, he’ll be shaking hands with the pope.
Sadly we’ll accept it.
Failed Health Minister Leo is no leader. Would you want him in the trenches with you in Vietnam? Enda is a liar. Simon Coveney is the minister for homelessness and housing crisis. Another failure. Simon Harris isn a failed health minister who wants out. So who is left? Not Francis Fitzgerald who made a show of herself over Norin and telling the truth. Regina Doherty (breaker of company law) should not be allowed near finances imo. So who is left?? Noonan is under investigation by 4 agencies. Knew about Grace for 20 years. No not good enough. So there is no one really. No leader without baggage.
@Garda Daz Topaz: And plenty in the party without a set.
IT DOSE NOT MATTER WHO IS THE LEADER OF FINE GALE WHEATHER IT BE LEO OR ANYONE ELSE..THEY HAVE FAILED THE PEOPLE AND THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR THEIR FAILURE
RTE are pushing this issue and its getting very annoying the idiot Kenny thinks he was given a mandate by the people to this term in office as leader. The Muppett will hang on forever because he cant take the hint that he’s not wanted by a vast majority of the electorate.
Chickens all of them…
All Fianna Fails doings
That Long.. Why wait…!!!
Corrupt politiciaal leader wants to hold on to meet corrupt religious leader.
@Les Behan: George Soros again lol.
Say a lot depends on new tds and how long it takes them to be able to claim a pension… why go before that. Delay and put off till that time comes. .then fold. It is Ireland after all
Its is a process the same as a snake shedding its skin
I think endas keeping them all guessing in his own party as well as holding the country to ransom . the country has a housing crisis and house prices are going up no social housing been built at all . hospital waiting list are getting longer doesn’t matter who leader of finna gail all living in a bubble were everything just great . no homeless criss. Nobody’s living in hotel rooms no children living in poverty. No policing scandal s
Enda thinks he’s God an can’t be done without but there are better people can do the job without the lies
@Liz Greer: Agree with your statement, but I don’t think they will be found in FG.
Hail Coveney, the Bilderberg candidate.
The duel is between Leo and Simon. we may see a proper contest, “Could the two contenders please pickup there Ralph Lauren handbags fighting continues until someone breaks a nail”. There’s too little time to get Michael Lowry back into the blueshirt camp before Enda gets the boot, a true FG leader. Michael Martin will still hold power no matter which tool wins the race. Maybe Leo and Simon will form a perfect partnership like Bertie\Cowen or Kenny\Noonan one become Taoiseach while the other plays at being minister for finance. If Irish politics have taught them anything its easier to rob a nation when all rivalry is only for show. Each got the others back during all scandals and crisis’s. Because a new leader of Irish political party does not change how the game is played.
@leartius: noonan thinks he’ll live forever Enda thinks he’ll be leader for ever!!!
Media playing up varadker’s chances. They are over estimating how far we’ve come. I honestly can’t see top brass in a Christian conservative party like fine Gael allowing a gay man to lead them. I could be wrong but I’d say covney is a shoe in.
I’d hope they’d all be gone soon and we might get from somewhere, competent politicians who can do a job and we can be proud of.
And whatever time these politicians deem not a good time for an election is probably the best time to have an election.
More Yawn, Yawn,>>>>>
If FF pulled the plug we wouldn’t be having this conversation…..
Yawn, Yawn, Yawn>>>
Every one of them corrupt to the core, stop voting for muppets.
Public don’t care who is leader of fg,they will suffer in next GE.fg and FF will have less seats.
Enda…just go.
When is the budget? October? Yep, if Enda goes now then either Coveney or Varadkar will be Taoiseach for 6 months. This government will fall at the budget, no question, it’s the ideal time for FF to pull the plug.
Doesn’t say much for potential leaders that Enda considers them incapable off dealing with any policy matter. Strange that Enda is the best they have to offer… despite all his Sieg Heil to Angela he couldn’t get a Gibraltar type arrangement for the north please FG let him go!!!!
The Devil you know is better than the one you don’t know
Which summer does he mean?
He’ll go once the journal cops on and brings back the red thumbs
Same shit – different leader.
@Tommy_Bannon: Like Dr. Who, different face same lines lol.
Or lies lol.
Well it is we the citizens exercise the franchise. The political parties provide the choices. We get what we voted for, no more, no less.
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