My comments on Saturday Night at the Presidential Dinner on Enda and our country

11th October, 2010

Enda Kenny Ard fheis

A few people have contacted me to ask for the text of my introduction for Enda on Saturday night. I can’t find it anywhere! I only wrote it a few hours earlier. But the below is what I think and hoped I said.

“Good evening friends.

In the 12 months since we last met at a Presidential Dinner so much has changed. Things that we hoped to be true then we know to be false now.

We were told that the economy had turned a corner. But we’re back to where we started.

We were told that we had the cheapest bank rescue plan in the world. But we have the most expensive.

We were told that the economy would start growing. But the only thing growing is the number of people without a job.

The Minister for Finance keeps on telling us that anger is not a policy.

But Minister, the only reason there is anger is because the is not policy.

Policy for people to keep their jobs safe.

Policy for people to keep their jobs secure.

A policy for hope.

This Government has spent billions recapitalising our banks. But what about our social capital, our young, our future that is leaving through our airports every day of every week.

Our country hopes that just because days of abundance are gone, it doesn’t mean that good days for the future are gone too.

It hopes that. But it does not know that.

Well, I am going to introduce you to a man that does. A man who knows that good days can still be ahead. Enda.

This country yearns for solidarity. Well I can genuinely assure you that Enda is marked by malice to none and support for all. Support for all in our party and in the country. Not the few.

Enda has got the big calls right. On NAMA. On Lisbon. On benchmarking. On decentralisation.

Our country needs leadership that is tough, that is resilient. Well I can tell you, that when times get really hard. And I mean really hard. Enda does not

Let his smile slip.

His shoulders fall.

His pace slacken.

He is my boss, our leader and with the help of us all the next leader of our country.

Enda Kenny TD.”