Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis - Election path littered with banana skins

WITH its political fortunes bouncing back in opinion polls, and a comfortable budget looming before the general election, a palpably relieved Fianna Fáil turned the weekend Árd Fheis into a launching pad for its bid to retain power and secure a third government term in a row.

As the last gathering of the combined parliamentary and constituency party before the coalition goes to the country, the event had special significance.

So, when he rose to address the faithful, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern took the opportunity to round on the opposition, claiming they could not be trusted to sustain or expand economic prosperity, asserting it made no sense for the country to go backwards.

He depicted an island of peace and prosperity, record employment, with a strong housing market, and real progress in tackling the A&E crisis in hospitals. And with a shrewd eye on the election, he appealed directly to the grey vote, promising old age pensioners €200 a week after the Budget.

Reiterating a pledge to introduce a new ethics act, he suggested the recent controversy surrounding his financial affairs had moved on. But that did not deter a succession of government ministers from personalised assaults on opposition leaders, Pat Rabbitte of Labour and Enda Kenny of Fine Gael, accusing them of character assassination of the Taoiseach during the recent furore.

Unsurprisingly, the media also drew criticism from delegates for its handling of the controversy over donations and loans of money to Mr Ahern from wealthy friends and supporters to help pay for his marriage separation costs.

Lest there be any misunderstanding — this newspaper makes no apology for raising questions about the probity of any politician taking hand-outs from wealthy businessmen, be they gifts, loans or whatever.

Given the history of sleaze among elements of Fianna Fáil in recent times, it was entirely appropriate to question Mr Ahern’s judgment in taking over €50,000 when he was Minister for Finance. History shows that such benevolence puts politicians under obligation to wealthy benefactors.

Referring obliquely to the controversy in his keynote address, the Taoiseach observed that if hindsight were foresight “we would all leave perfect lives”. Fair enough. But that should not deflect the media from putting politicians under the microscope.

More than anything, the Árd Fheis shows that the strategy of positioning Fianna Fáil as the key member of any future coalition, be it with the PDs or Labour, has begun in earnest.

Taking a side-swipe at the opposition parties, Finance Minister Brian Cowen claimed they would raise taxes when difficulties arose.

Pouring more cold water on expectations of a give-away budget, and resisting the temptation, as he put it, to “let it rip”, he reiterated that his priority was for a balanced Budget and low taxation.

The choice facing the electorate, he said, was either “a continuation of Fianna Fáil managing the economy or Pat Rabbitte as Minister for Finance. It’s as simple as that”. And putting it up to Labour, he accused them of being “eerily silent” on how they would fund their policies.

Under Mr Cowen, prudence and tight control over expenditure have become the mantra of Fianna Fáil, a party more accustomed to splashing out on vote buying sprees.

Yet, all is not rosy in the FF garden. Its ambitious decentralisation programme is well behind target. Moreover, the Taoiseach’s lack of clarity on the timing of the referendum on the rights of the child, an issue that warrants urgency, does not inspire confidence.

Ultimately, Fianna Fáil’s fortunes will turn on unforeseen events between now and a spring election in a political landscape that is littered with banana skins.