Kenny says ‘no’ to government being propped up by FF

ENDA KENNY dismissed talk a minority Fine Gael administration could be propped up by Fianna Fáil after the next election.

Addressing more than 100 of the party’s Dáil candidates, Mr Kenny said the people wanted to see FF in the political wilderness.

New FF leader Micheál Martin made the surprise offer to prop up a FG government if it stuck to the four-year plan drawn up by the outgoing administration.

However, the move was seen as an attempt to heighten tension between the would-be partners in government after the election, FG and Labour.

Mr Kenny tried to downplay the controversy over the TV debates by saying he had agreed to two 5-way encounters and was willing to debate the FF and Labour leaders when they wanted but the process must give access to the smaller parties.

The Fine Gael leader told candidates the party would fight the election on a five-point plan of reform which had job creation and transforming the health service at its heart.

He said the party’s policies would create 20,000 jobs a year.

Mr Kenny stressed the need to keep taxes low in order to create jobs, a stand which puts him at odd with Labour who want to see extra levies on the highest earners.

In another pointed snipe at Labour he insisted the country was not “banjaxed” as Joan Burton had claimed, but would be able to negotiate a new bailout deal from the EU and IMF if the next government had a strong enough mandate.

Mr Kenny said reform of the political system and how voters are treated by it was a key element in national renewal.

Mr Kenny attacked the outgoing government for targeting widows, the blind and the disabled for pension cuts in the last budget.