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IN CONTRAST TO other party conferences we’ve been to in recent weeks, there was a fair bit happening at this weekend’s 77th Fine Gael Ard Fheis.
Over 2,000 delegates descended on the RDS in south Dublin this weekend to debate and vote on dozens of motions ranging from cannabis legalisation to same-sex marriage to banning cigarette sales in pubs and supermarkets.
In the end it was decided the party would not back moves to legalise cannabis, but would campaign in favour of same-sex marriage next year, while the cigarette sales issue was kicked to touch.
Here’s what else we learned this weekend…
1. Everyone loves Enda…
Fine Gael loves it’s leader. Okay, that’s no revelation but it was really evident his weekend. The splits that emerged during the attempted heave four years ago linger and always will, but the ordinary members were scrambling for pics and selfies with Enda who made himself available all weekend.
Party officials still try to stage-manage situations with the Taoiseach too much – such as when three young party members were strategically placed for the dear leader to come sit beside during Michael Noonan’s speech earlier – but there’s nothing stage-managed about Kenny’s engagement with people and particularly members of Fine Gael over the past two days.
2. … and Alan Shatter too
“Three cheers for Alan Shatter,” shouted an audience member during an awkward silence before the live broadcast of Enda Kenny’s keynote speech. The audience duly obliged. While he’s not the toast of the opposition parties right now, the Justice Minister attracted a huge amount of support from delegates this weekend.
All of which indicates that the GSOC/whistleblower controversies are not fundamentally damaging his position either in Fine Gael or, more importantly, in Cabinet. Shatter got a standing ovation after a speech during a session on transparency, accountability and justice and was mobbed by delegates on arrival at the RDS.
3. Fine Gael is unashamedly at war with big tobacco
There were a series of strong contributions to a debate on smoking on Friday night with members united in their view that cigarette companies are essentially evil and are targeting our children. One senator went as far as to say if she had her way she’d ban cigarettes and smoking altogether.
James Reilly has committed to eradicating smoking from Ireland on a more incremental basis and yesterday the party formally asked him to set up a working group to examine the possibility of banning cigarette sales in pubs, off licences, supermarkets and anywhere else that sells alcohol. Reilly’s very personal war on tobacco continues – and has strong Fine Gael support.
4. Tax cuts are on the way
Michael Noonan likes to go off-script and did so again today during his address to delegates, but his pre-prepared remarks contained a commitment to look at “targeted tax reductions’, presumably in the Budget next October.
“Tax cuts? Call me,” agriculture minister Simon Coveney probably wasn’t saying. [Pic: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland]
Later the Taoiseach said that easing the burden of taxation on working families “is a priority for government” – another clear indication of what’s on the way. The Fine Gael view is best summed-up by junior finance minister Brian Hayes who said the party needs to ensure “that we stop taxing the hell out people”.
Given the talk from both coalition parties in recent weeks, it’s now inconceivable that there won’t be a tax cut of some sort announced in Budget 2015.
5. Delegates loved a good selfie
Here are just three of many, many selfies taken at the RDS this weekend…
6. Fine Gael could contest elections in the North
Delegates passed a motion to set up a working group of politicians and rank and file members which will explore the possibility of contesting elections in Northern Ireland. The wording of the motion suggests that Fine Gael won’t be contesting elections across the border any time soon, but it’s an interesting idea.
“The distance between Kildare Street in Dublin and Kildare Street in Newry is 66 miles – it’s that short, it’s less than an hour,” the motion’s proposer, Feargal Crinion, told delegates this morning. “Another 40 miles, you’re up to Kildare Street in Belfast. Yes, 100 miles separates the two Kildare Streets.”
7. The party is proud of its female representation…
Fine Gael, as other parties have been doing, made sure that some of its young, local election candidates were showcased during the televised session on RTÉ earlier today. But all weekend the party was keen to emphasise that over 100 of its over 450 candidates are women.
Enda Kenny pictured with his daughter Aiobhinn (left) and his goddaughter Dervla Kenny at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis.
It’s the most of any party in the State although that’s not hard when you’re the biggest party in the State with the most money, and it’s worth nothing that it’s still short of the 30 per cent quota parties will be required to adhere to – or else face funding cuts – at the next general election.
8. … but its strategy in Ireland South has even the Taoiseach confused
Embarrassingly, Enda Kenny forgot to mention Deidre Clune when listing off the Fine Gael candidates running in the European elections. It’s even more awkward because the senator was standing right beside him as it happened.
But it also underscores the fact that many within the party believe the decision to run three candidates in Ireland South – incumbent Seán Kelly and TD Simon Harris are the others – is a mistake by the party leadership.
One party source described the loss of former IFA president John Bryan as potential candidate – he was put off by the three candidate strategy – as “a big f***-up”.
Pics: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland, Niall Carson/Brian Lawless/PA, and Twitter.
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Please have some respect for this Garda and he’s family may I suggest that the comments on this story be closed ASAP.
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: “why? Let me mention an unrelated case”
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: There you go you’ve answered your own question by saying the word some Garda.
So if there is under handed stuff going on in that division may I ask how do you know this Garda is involved in it?
He may well not have anything to do with what’s happening.
You can’t just assume he’s got something to do with it.
I think the old saying is don’t tar them all with the one brush which is exactly what you’re doing here.
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: joking right?
@Joe oshaughnessy: Why close comments?
@Seamus Mc Meel: Because I’m fairly sure the family involved here would appreciate some privacy as would you if your family were in the same situation.
There’s no deterrent in this country to respect the Law. There should be stiffer sentences
@Noel Barnes: There might be a deterrent if the judiciary didn’t give lenient sentences to rapists and sex offenders and An Garda Síochána wasn’t lying through their teeth every other week about whistleblowers, breath tests, and abusing the PULSE system for a few quid off the tabloids. The Irish police force is one of the most corrupt forces in the Western World.
@Noel Barnes: look what happened to garda mc cabe that was the lowest.
@Michael Knight: any figures for that?
@John M: Figures for what?
@John M: Oh the breath tests? Sorry, I think they’re at 4 billion and counting.
@Michael Knight: jesus pal travel around the western world and experience other police forces then come back and see do you still believe in your comment. See are the as corrupt as you perceive. Might take a few years to get back from what ever country you cross paths with their police tho
@Noel Barnes: have you been following the disclosures tribunal? he law dont respect the law!
@Austin hickey:Ahem, Which Garda McCabe?
@Michael Knight: really? Because of statistics?
You have huge faith in other forces
@Austin hickey: yeah, imagine a police force receiving a report from a medical professional that one of their officers abused a child and actually investigating it.
They should have done nothing and protected him like honest cops eh?
The amount of s(umbags in this country is unreal. And I’m not using s(umbags in a classist term as some people were suggesting last week
@COYBIG: Last week & the week before that etc etc etc…there are some people on here that are just totally despicable! Aka trolling idiots.
@Larry Flynt: lovely you just proved my point!
@Colette Kearns: I don’t think anyone should listen to Larry. So let’s all ignore him.
Intimidating the Gardaí is a stupid move by stupid people. All it will do is make them more resolute. I hope these cowardly acts earn the sickos a few extra years behind bars.
If anyone here is ok with gangs and criminality then they’re the ones with the problem.
Using the incidents involving these two Gardai to justify a call for Gardai to be armed with tasers ? What good would tasers have done in both those incidents ? Says a lot about crime detection rates when even the Gardai can’t be ar$ed reporting crimes against themselves.
@Tommy Roche: The fact that they are trained to investigate incidents like these themselves they would know if it was worth wasting scarce Garda resources investigating where there was no evidence to suggest who carried out these attacks.
@Mick Jordan: But how do they know there’s no evidence if the crime hasn’t been investigated ? Isn’t that the whole point of investigation, to find evidence ? If the incidents are as insidious as this article suggests, then surely they warrant being properly reported and investigated.
@Tommy Roche: Because they being trained investigators themselves could see that there was nothing. If I were to break your window with a stick or hammer how would know it was me, unless I left the item behind or someone saw me you would have no evidence. Likewise with slashing your tyres or keying your car.
@Tommy Roche: is that a joke or are you just stupid?
Of course serving gardai would know if it’s worth reporting or not. This may shock you but normal gardai couldn’t give a flying monkeys about crime stats, they just want to catch criminals!
@Karl: Relax, Kermit.
@Mick Jordan: See no evil hear no evil.is that the answer Throw hands in the air Poor attitude to care in the community.
This is just blatant propaganda from the gardai. It’s transparent nonsense. Somebody (a supposed source in aGS) says something to the Journal about an unnamed case & alleged intimidation, on condition of anonymity, during a period of increased scrutiny of corruption in the force. Don’t take everyone for fools. This is f_-kin tragic!
@Paul Devlin: and before people get on my case, there’s no names, no area ( bar the vague ‘north east’), no crimes, nothing to actually pin it down. It’s just vacuous propaganda. If it’s true then show us the article where the windows were out in. Put some flesh on the bone. The supposed crime gang know where they live already so where is the ham? What a pile of cr-p!
@Paul Devlin: quick!!! Share all the sensitive information with this dumbass so he believes you
@Paul Devlin: So we can take it from your comment that you don’t like the Gardai.
@Rosie Murray: Paul got a speeding ticket before and the chip has remained on his shoulder since
@Pat Bateman: ya. But unlike Martin callinan and Paul Williams, he couldn’t get he’s dodgy Garda mates to wipe he’s penalty points!
All windows smashed and he didn’t report it?? Car keyed and he didn’t report it?? It’s almost like they’ve no faith in the Gardai, or could it just be a bullish!t story…
These shites that are carrying out these attacks on gardai probably have convictions as long as their arms but for some unknown reasons, the quacks in the judiciary keep giving them suspended sentences
North East, drugs or green diesel then???
Why didn’t they report the incidents? Was it to keep stats down
Gardai don’t do stats, the system they input data into does and they don’t input it trained civilian data inputters do read your inspectorate reports and also classification is as hard. Lets say your car gets broken into, your had tools taken,so theft, then you see they tried the ignition to start your car, unauthorised taking, there’s criminal damage also, maybe more all from one incident. You want to classify it as one incident its impossible at times. But Gardai turn up and investigate the crime that is their job not producing stats for the CSO that should be a bi product.
Anyway your comment was hilarious.
@Liam Burke: that comment speaks more about your lack of knowledge then the gardai.
Pulse and stats are controlled by civilians. Gardai just investigate
Speaks volumes if the guards aren’t even reporting crimes committed in themselves.
@Stephen Devlin: because they don’t care about crime stats which is all it would benefit. There’s no evidence and it would only waste more Garda time that they don’t have
@Karl: I think recording the problem is key to understanding improvements.
@Stephen Devlin: With nonsense like that you are surely management
they sure it wasn’t? own Freemasons in PSNI
Bet it’s Dundalk
Ireland doesn’t deserve the police it has, deserves much worse.
Unarmed, threatened off duty, badly equipped, badly led by senior officers that obtained their positions by nepotism a bunch of online cowards sniping at them for things outside their control and usually wrong.
I await the false and overly simplistic comment about being the best paid in Europe.
have your say