Fine Gael National Press Office Press Release

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Opening Address by Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny, at the FG Parliamentary Party Meeting
Galway, 11 September 2007

On 26 January this year, when we met in Clontarf, I expressed the confidence that this autumn we would be meeting in numbers of this size or more, having entered Government. We came very close to the numbers we targeted, but unfortunately we have failed to get into Government. Our success in having 20 extra TDs elected is a tribute to the enormous work put in by you and your supporters over recent years.

Later in this meeting we will have an opportunity to review the election and the lessons we can learn from it. But today I want to start the process of looking forward. Looking forward to the local and European elections and especially to the next General Election. Because the last election has confirmed one certainty and that is that the challenge facing this party is to reflect in ourselves the changing political economic and social environment that is Ireland in the 21st Century.

Five years ago, a smaller Parliamentary party met in Westport and endorsed the recommendations of a Strategic review which was carried out after the 2002 election. Virtually all of the practical recommendations in that Report were implemented and the result was that we fought the election as a united professional competent party. We can be rightly proud of what we achieved. But we should also not be blind to what needs to be done now. We are only half way there.

In the General Election we won, you won, twenty seats. It was a great achievement. But Fianna Fail won power. Despite our performance, they maintained their vote share and contained their losses to a level which put them in the driving seat to form a Government. The next election, whenever it comes, will revolve around one issue- do the people want a Fianna Fail or a Fine Gael led Government?

It seems certain that all other parties will adopt an independent stance going into the election. The fall-out from this election will convince the voters that the composition of Government will only become clear after the election. The one certainty is that either FF or FG will lead that Government.

Our challenge is to make that choice the centrepiece of the next election. Our challenge is to take on FF and win. Win on Policy. Win on Organisation. Win on communication. Later at this meeting you will have an opportunity to discuss some of these issues. For the moment I want to focus on how we develop our policies.

Inspire as Well as Reassure
One of the key messages of our 2007 campaign was, "reassurance": reassurance that we had the competence to run Government after ten years out of power; reassurance that a FG-LAB coalition would not raise taxes or damage the economy; reassurance that the peace process would be safe in our hands.

This worked well. Along with our strong focus on improving public services like health it helped us to recover seats. However, our platform was not enough to persuade enough swing voters to move to FG and win the seats that would let us lead a new Government.

Next time around, our goal must be to move beyond reassurance to inspiration; inspiring the electorate with the leadership and creative ideas needed to address their hopes and concerns. Inspiring them to vote FG

It will be important to convince the media / electorate that our "poster promises" are the tip of the iceberg and symbolic of a much wider and well-considered reform agenda consistent with our core values and principles.

Policy Context for Next Election
The timing and circumstances of the next election are, of course, difficult to predict. But barring any dramatic change, the economic and political environment at the time of the next election will be characterised by a number of features.

o Economic and political globalisation has narrowed the terms of political debate in Ireland. The challenge will again be to win an election against a centrist party in a centrist country on the basis of a centrist policy platform.

o By the time of the next election, the Irish electorate will be more urban, better educated, more middle class, older and better travelled.

o Accelerating global competition, technological change and economic restructuring will mean that personal economic security will remain a driving force in voting behaviour. As the average age of Irish workers increases, the challenges of re-skilling and ensuring adequate pensions coverage will become even more acute

o As the population ages, healthcare will remain a key driver of voting behaviour, even if the huge investment of resources in recent years has a more visible impact on waiting lists and A&E care. Issues likely to be of continuing voter concern will include regional access to specialised care, the rising cost of primary care and health insurance for secondary care, the two-tier health system etc.

o As economic and political globalisation continue apace, issues of community / regional / national / pan-national identity may emerge as more important themes in national dialogue and political debate.

Policy Process for the Next Election
Policy development takes considerable time, and the timing of the next general election is uncertain. It is important that the party begins as soon as possible a well-structured policy development process. To this end, I propose to establish four Policy Commissions to develop policy options for the party in the following areas:

1. A Competitive and Green Economy - Achieving Strong and Sustainable Growth in Employment and Living Standards Across the Country

2. Public Services - Delivering Quality Public Services like Education and Health

3. Trust in Politics - Empowering Citizens and Restoring Political Accountability

4. Families and Communities - Balancing the Needs of Family, Community and the Economy and tackling long term issues like poverty and deprived communities

I propose that each Commission will comprise a mix of membership including:

o Relevant front-bench spokespersons
o Other members of the parliamentary party
o Outside members with relevant experience / expertise

Each Commission will be expected to:
o Meet with, and seek submissions from, relevant experts;
o Establish and articulate core principles underpinning policy in the relevant area, consistent with the party's core beliefs and values
o Engage in consultation with the wider party and public on policy options, including the commissioning of research where resources allow;
o Produce final reports by end 2008/early 2009, with short- and long-term specific and costed policy options for eventual adoption by the front bench and parliamentary party into the next election manifesto;

I will make final decisions on the make-up of the Commissions in the coming weeks. But I want them to signal a fresh way of approaching policy development, an openness by Fine Gael to look at the major changes in Irish society and a willingness to bring forward and debate radical policy choices.

In the last election we recovered our party. We came close to Government. It would be easy for us to think that a little bit more of the same will get us over the line the next time. It won't.

It's time for us to be brave, to think in a fresh way about old problems and to be prepared to confront issues which the cosy consensus of the last ten years have failed to solve.

I look forward to your support in this task.

Ends