Taoiseach insists he is not out of touch

BRIAN COWEN last night insisted he was not out of touch with the pain caused by the economic crash as he vowed to defy the polls and escape an election rout.

Side-stepping questions on whether he feared a poor showing would trigger a challenge to his leadership, the Taoiseach urged voters to focus on EU issues only as he launched Fianna Fáil’s Euro campaign.

Mr Cowen said he was “acutely” aware of the scale of the economic downturn and the impact it was having on families after criticism from opponents that he was oblivious to the grassroots effects of his harsh fiscal policies. “I am acutely aware of the legitimate concerns that people have. As a public representative, apart from being Taoiseach, in communities that I am engaged, I am aware of these things.