Kenny prepares for power

Ireland’s incoming Taoiseach will begin sizing up options for a new government today after his Fine Gael party made an historic election breakthrough.

Enda Kenny looks on course to form a coalition with Labour and vowed to complete tricky negotiations within days.

His centre-right party secured a resounding success – its best ever at the polls – as rivals Fianna Fáil were routed in a massive outpouring of voter anger over the recession and taxpayer bills for the banking crisis.

The new Dáil will also see a significant Independent bloc spearheaded by former Senator Shane Ross and developer Mick Wallace.

A strong left wing influence also emerged with Sinn Fein on course to treble its vote to 15 seats led by poll topping party president Gerry Adams in Louth and TDs from the Socialist Party.

Former coalition party the Greens were wiped out with none of their sitting TDs returned.

Mr Kenny vowed not to waste any time pulling together a strong and stable government and then to force Europe’s hand on renegotiation of the €85bn IMF/EU loan deal.

“The people have made their choice. This was a democratic revolution at the ballot box,” he said.

Mr Kenny also fired a broadside at the defeated Fianna Fáil party, which has been in power for the last 14 years.

It suffered the most devastating political collapse since the early years of the State.

“I give you my guarantee that the incoming government is not going to leave the people in the dark about what is happening whether it is good or whether it is bad,” he said.

“Paddy likes to be told.”

Mr Kenny plans to make the opening attack on the IMF/EU deal on March 4 when the European People’s Party, to which Fine Gael is affiliated, meets in Helsinki. He will follow that up with a charm offensive on the European Council in Brussels the following week.

Mr Kenny, who secured the biggest single vote in the country in his Mayo constituency, said he wanted a quick resolution to talks on a new government.

“We don’t want a situation where this is going to be dragged out,” Mr Kenny said.

Fine Gael is on course for about 75 Dáil seats, just a handful shy of majority single party government in the 166 strong parliament.

Outgoing Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who has retired from politics, said he accepted responsibility for decisions taken in while in power.

“From my point of view as Taoiseach and as minister in the past I take full responsibility. I’ve never quibbled or suggested otherwise,” Mr Cowen said.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin put on a brave face and said he believed that Fine Gael had managed to secure support from floating voters.

“There’s a soft vote there for Fine Gael and Labour, just as there was for us for years,” he said.

“I tend to be optimistic by nature so I look at this as an opportunity as well.”

The party’s biggest casualty was Mary Coughlan, the outgoing Tánaiste, who was punished by voters in Donegal South-West as they opted to support an Independent candidate in her own backyard.

Hers was one of several dynasties brought to a dramatic end and minutes from finding out her fate she refused to give in, before slipping quietly from the count centre in Donegal town.

“It’s been a very difficult day for all of my colleagues, many of whom have lost their seats,” she said.

Other big names to suffer included ministers Mary Hanafin, Barry Andrews and Conor Lenihan, himself from a powerful Fianna Fáil family and brother of the outgoing finance minister Brian Lenihan who narrowly retained his own seat.

The Haughey name will also be absent from the Dáil for the first time in 54 years.

Green leader John Gormley had always faced a tough battle in Dublin South East and blamed his party’s failure on being in a government which made savage cuts.

He said: “We have suffered a major defeat, but the party will regroup, we will continue. We’re a party with a set of beliefs and values and a vision for the future.

“We have great people here. We’re going to rebuild this party.”

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore accepted his party appeared destined for the junior coalition role.

“That is the most likely outcome, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.

Mr Kenny, who took control of Fine Gael after it was crushed in the 2002 election – flew by helicopter from his western constituency to celebrations in Dublin’s Burlington Hotel.

He said he bore no grudges to anyone over a failed leadership heave in June 2010 and vowed to lead a strong and stable government.

On the IMF/EU bailout, Mr Kenny repeated his mantra that it was a bad deal for Ireland and a bad deal for Europe.

“We are not going to cry the poor mouth, other than to say the reality of this challenge is too much. I don’t want to talk about difficulties, I look for co-operation, consensus and support across Europe,” he said.

Mr Kenny said by 2016 – the centenary of Ireland’s Easter Rising – he wanted to make Ireland the best for business, for raising a family and to grow old with dignity.

“It’s not about being popular, it’s about being effective,” he said.

“We want to restore our pride at home and abroad. Our country is back in business.”

Mr Kenny also pledged to probe deep into the heart of the Irish banking crisis which has left the taxpayer saddled with crippling debts which some analysts believe could ultimately cost closer to €200bn.

“We do need to find exactly what went wrong here, who benefited from this and where decisions were made,” he said.

“This is bridging the gap between government and people – that chasm there was very bad for democracy.”