Kenny dodges hail of eggs in city walkabout

THE Enda Kenny party was bombarded with eggs and issues as it landed into Cork City this weekend.

At every corner of his walkabout he was called to account by nurses, parents, anti-abortion activists and environmentalists.

He set off accompanied by heckling Shell-to-Sea protesters, and at one stage had eggs thrown at him — although they hit Cork North Central TD Bernard Allen instead.

But the message Mr Kenny had to deliver was he wants a debt-free Cork Airport. Crucially, he would not commit to clearing the debt. He said he would pursue every option available to limit the toll imposed on the new Cork Airport Authority.

“Fine Gael is committed to putting in place financial structures to achieve this goal. In government we will sit down with all the relevant stakeholders to develop a new financial package. We will not let debt drag down Cork Airport,” he said.

His economic policies were questioned by Noel Magner, a plasterer from Mayfield. He asked how Fine Gael would deal with spiralling inflation.

“Friends of mine are emigrating because they just cannot afford to live here and it needs to be sorted out,” said Mr Magner.

Mr Kenny’s answer is to tackle public utility bills and squeeze semi-State bodies to give lower prices for gas and electricity.

Mr Kenny was earlier heckled by the Cork Shell-to-Sea campaign. Protesters, one dressed as a clown, followed him with a banner asking why Shell is allowed to build a gas terminal in his home county.

The party’s leader said the people of Mayo did not back the Shell-to-Sea campaign and neither did he.