Cowen: Morale high despite poll slump

Taoiseach Brian Cowen today insisted morale in his party was good despite a slump in recent opinion polls.

Mr Cowen said Fianna Fáil would be running a campaign for the European Elections on June 5 with conviction.

“We know that these are difficulty times, and they are though times, but they are the policies that are necessary,” he added.

A new poll showed the party is in danger is losing one of its four seats in the European Parliament, while Fine Gael also struggles to retain its current five seats.

The Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll revealed the Dublin Fianna Fáil MEP Eoin Ryan could lose out to Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin.

Another poll, published on Friday, claimed support for Fine Gael has also jumped ahead of Fianna Fáil.

Mr Cowen told party canvassers in Wexford he would not govern by opinion poll, but instead by what Government knows to be right and best for the nation.

He claimed voters had a choice between stability, progress and cooperation from Fianna Fáil or instability, retreat and division from the opposition.

“The opposition wants to impose risky and wildly divergent policies that could wreak havoc on Ireland’s economy and undermine all the progress we made at a time when economic recovery is in sight,” said Mr Cowen.

“Their fundamental plans are diametrically opposed – Fine Gael says cut more and Labour says spend more – and now their leaders are bickering with each other and offer only empty criticism, not concrete plans. They seem to believe that by bad mouthing Ireland they can somehow speed our recovery.

“The last thing we need at a time like this are leaders who want to take our country in completely opposite directions.

“The last thing we need are national leaders who don’t seem to understand that when you recklessly attack our economic condition, those attacks are not only heard by voters, they are also heard by investors in boardrooms abroad.”

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said he was greatly encouraged by his party’s showing in the poll, which put Nessa Childers ahead of Fine Gael’s John Paul Phelan.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he is confident his party can retain its two seats in Ireland East in the upcoming European elections.

Phil Hogan, the party’s director of European elections, said the fantastic surge support provided a real opportunity for a great election result on June 5.

“Fine Gael are polling at our highest level since the early 1980’s and we are topping the poll in three of the four Euro constituencies,” said the TD.

“All of our candidates are competitive but the key now is to manage our increased support so that we maximise our number of MEP’s.”

Meanwhile Green Party chairman Dan Boyle said it is time for the party to rethink the programme for Government agreed with Fianna Fáil.

“It is true that everything has changed utterly since this programme for government has been agreed,” said the European Election candidate.

“Most of the Green Party elements of it have now been implemented.

“It is a document that is in need of review, and the period after these elections would be an ideal opportunity to do that.”