Kenny’s comment - Insult to the electorate

Taoiseach Enda Kenny refused to debate Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin on the issue of abolishing the Seanad because, he said, he did not wish to “embarrass” him. Maybe this flippant comment was meant as a joke, but, if it was, it was a very ill-judged joke.

Instead of embarrassing Mr Martin, the Taoiseach embarrassed himself by demeaning his office. His flippant response was much more than an insult to the Fianna Fáil leader; it was an insult to the whole electorate.

In the process, Mr Kenny embarrassed his party, and he did little to enhance its campaign to scrap the Seanad. Insulting the electorate is not the way to win the public support.