Kenny apologises and pledges to raise game

ENDA KENNY has delivered an extraordinary apology to his own TDs and senators following a spate of botched media appearances amid fresh speculation about his future as party leader.

Mr Kenny used a gathering of Fine Gael Oireachtas members to acknowledge poor TV and radio performances and pledge to raise his game in future.

The move followed a misjudged appearance on the Late Late Show and an interview on Newstalk in which he was ill-briefed on water charging.

Mr Kenny also drew considerable fire last summer when he could not tell voters how much his alternative to NAMA would cost when he announced the proposals.

With Fianna Fáil staging a modest comeback in the opinion polls, some Fine Gael TDs are known to be concerned that Mr Kenny’s poor personal ratings may be holding the party back.

While there is little sign of an organised heave against Mr Kenny, he will meet all Fine Gael TDs and senators individually in the coming weeks in an attempt to shore-up his support.

Long-standing concern by critics about Mr Kenny’s leadership had been silenced over the past 18 months as Fine Gael soared in the opinion polls as the Government struggled to contain the economic crash and a snap general election looked likely.

However, Mr Kenny has admitted an early election is now unlikely and criticism of his abilities to connect with voters and make an impact in the Dáil have surfaced once more.

Since taking over the party following its disastrous 2002 election performance, Mr Kenny has been dogged with complaints over his style of leadership or ability to project an image as a credible alternate Taoiseach.

Supporters say he led the party to more than 20 gains at the 2007 Dáil election, has opened up a sustained opinion poll lead for Fine Gael over Fianna Fáil for the first time in its history, and that Bertie Ahern was often dismissed as a lightweight when he was leader of the opposition in the mid-1990s.

However, despite Brian Cowen leading the most unpopular government in the history of the state, Mr Kenny’s personal approval ratings remain only a few points above those of the Taoiseach.

Mr Kenny has also suffered from comparison with Labour leader Eamon Gilmore who is widely viewed as the most effective party leader in the Dáil and regularly outperforms the Fine Gael chief in parliamentary clashes with the Taoiseach.