Enda Kenny accepts blame for series of gaffes

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has accepted responsibility for a series of “mistakes” which have blighted Fine Gael’s stuttering general election campaign.

The party was also fighting a rearguard action last night as Mr Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan accepted that very high income earners will be much better off in cash terms than lower income earners after their controversial promise to abolish the universal social charge (USC) for all.

However, as the campaign is coming to an end, Mr Kenny conceded he had made a number of “gaffes” during the campaign, but said he was human and man enough to admit he was wrong.

“Actually, as you deal with all of these things, I am human, I make mistakes but I am man enough to accept responsibilities for these things. I think the hallmark of leadership is how you move on from issues like those,” he said.

Another senior Fine Gael minister, Leo Varadkar, conceded that Mr Kenny is not the strongest advocate for the party in key setpiece events like TV debates.

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“Enda is not going to win a debating competition but he has other strengths,” he said.

However, Mr Kenny and Mr Noonan were forced yesterday to confirm that under their plans, people earning €150,000 a year would be three times better off as those on €40,000 under their USC plans.

Mr Noonan said that while higher earners will benefit more in cash terms, in terms of percentages, the gains are broadly similar.

“The USC deals in percentages and if you apply it you pay a bigger amount on the same percentage on a higher income and if you reduce it you get more relief on a higher income in cash terms. But the percentages are very close,” the finance minister said.

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Mr Kenny also said pulling the plug on the Government in November would have severed the positive relationship with the Labour Party, but added, there was a strong urge to go early.

“First of all, had I gone in November I would have ruptured the link with the Labour Party after saying we would have gone the full distance. Secondly we wouldn’t have introduced the Finance Bill and other bills. And people would have rightly been critical had we not awaited the results of the banking inquiry,” he said.

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Mr Kenny’s position as leader could come under question, should Fine Gael and Labour fail to be re-elected, given they were returned with the biggest majority in the history of the State in 2011.

The difficult choices the parties had to make in office have taken their toll on their support, he said.

“People’s expectations rise, this recovery is incomplete. Elections are about choices. We had the most difficult decisions of any government of decades past,” he said.

“Four of those polls show Fine Gael are at 30%. Reports we are getting from around the country is that people are examining very carefully and critically the plans that are on the table.

“We feel we can increase on that percentage and translate that into seats. It is the choice of the people,” he said.

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The Taoiseach was severely criticised over his admission that he mishandled the appointment of John McNulty to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Former junior minister and Social Democrat joint leader Roisin Shortall lashed Mr Kenny’s record in office.

“Well look, the story changes yet again. People are looking for integrity in Irish politics, the Taoiseach has been tested several times over the past year, whether that’s in relation to garda whistleblowing, his role in relation to the Garda commissioner’s resignation, the McNulty affair, Siteserv which Catherine [Murphy] has been highlighting.

“There have been umpteen examples where the Taoiseach has been tested and he has been found wanting,” she said.

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