Taoiseach vows to defend his record and confident of winning Dáil vote

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has said infighting in Fine Gael will not distract him from winning today’s Dáil motion of confidence in his ability to lead the country.

Fine Gael has deflected attention away from the motion on Mr Cowen’s future, which it triggered last week in response to the critical reports on the Government’s role in the banking crisis.

However, Mr Cowen said the Government will continue to defend its record irrespective of the wrangle the main opposition party has got itself into.

“These are matters for others to consider. What we are doing is in relation to the Government. There is motion put down questioning the Government’s issues on these matters. We are dealing with them, we have taken up that confidence motion and we are confident we can put forward our case,” he said.

Mr Cowen indicated he will not change direction and, similar to last month’s media blitz, his defence will concentrate on spelling out the major policy decisions adopted since the recession began.

And he said his colleagues in the front and back benches will support him.

“The Government is pursing policies that are necessary to establish the recovery as quickly as possible. And we will take the opportunity to set out the positions we have been taking, the basis for those decisions and our plans for the future. We welcome that opportunity and I believe there will be support in the house for the confidence motion in the Government,” he said.

Fine Gael politicians fear if its leadership issue is not resolved by this afternoon Fianna Fáil will use the event to clobber Enda Kenny and Richard Bruton.

Unlike previous standoffs the back benches have remained quiet on the confidence motion and are unlikely to take the opportunity to undermine Mr Cowen’s position.

Health Minister Mary Harney, an independent member of the Government, said she believed the Taoiseach will be given the full backing of the entire coalition.

“Since I have sat around the Cabinet table with him he has always been motivated by one thing and one thing only – and that’s the national interest. I think he will get the full support of the Government and all those that support the Government parties in the Dáil,” she said.