Cowen’s swan song as Dail dissolved

Cowen leaves Áras an Uachtaráin as Dail formally dissolved; election expected 25^th February.

Brian Cowen’s swan song as Taoiseach took place in the Dail today. Mr Cowen told deputies he would seek Mary McAleese to dissolve the 30^th Dail this afternoon, with the 31^st due to sit as of noon on the 9^th March.

A general election is expected on the 25^th February.

Mr Cowen’s farewell speech to the house advised, “Ireland will prosper if responsible policies are pursued.” He claimed Ireland was consistently within the top 10 countries to invest in worldwide, citing IBM and Facebook as examples of profile investors brought to the country under Fianna Fail.

“It is not just the content that defines a political decision, but its context too,” said the departing Taoiseach, “Unpopular decisions had to be taken.”

In a nod to successor as Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, the Taoiseach spoke of success achieved by the Irish government in Northern Ireland, particularly concerning the devolution of policing.

Mr Cowen praised the “new and renewed spirit of friendship and reconciliation” in the North.

Mr Cowen advised he had put the “interests of the people first and last.”

Enda Kenny took the floor immediately after Cowen and, in a nod to the ongoing debates issue, thanked the Ceann Comhairle for inviting “all of the leaders to speak.”

Mr Kenny informed the house he did not doubt Mr Cowen’s personal integrity, though Fianna Fail was described as “the worst government in living memory.”

“The collective governance of the last 13 and a half years would be held to account for driving Ireland into the arms of the IMF,” said deputy Kenny.

The Fine Gael leader told the house, “Anger, real and proper that it is, will not get Ireland back working.”

Deputy Kenny asserted that with cabinet ministers holding multiple responsibilities, “Government isn’t working.”

Kenny promised to “keep income taxes down” whilst ending “social apartheid” in the health service through a program of “universal health insurance” modelled on the Dutch system.

A ceiling on salaries, car pooling for ministers, cutting the number of politicians by a third and a single chamber Dail with strong committees were also proposed by Mr Kenny as, “if cuts are needed it starts at the top.”

Labour’s Eamon Gilmore spoke against Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for representing “the Celtic Tory consensus,”

Deputy Gilmore said Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both supported the “blanket bank guarantee” and were “both happy to back austerity.”

The party leader spoke about the need for change and reform in Irish politics claiming, “Labour is the party of work… Labour is the party of reform… Now is the time for change.”

Rte, the national broadcaster, noted Mr Gilmore used the word “change” some 20 times in his speech. The Td for Dun Laoghaire’s address was also scant on references to the departing Taoiseach.

Leader of the Green party John Gormley took the floor and, in a colourful address, praised developments in recognising civil partnerships and in establishing a central planning commission.

The creation of a new independent financial regulator and a new governor of the central bank were listed as among the coalition’s achievements, alongside investment in renewable energy and a cut in the number of junior ministers.

The thrust of the latter half of deputy Gormley’s address was a call for reform of politics in response to the sharp rise in emigration.

“Let’s be honest when you see young people emigrated in the 1950s and the 80s and are [emigrating] now; we ask ourselves has the electoral system served people well?”

The TD for Dublin South East called for a reduced Dail with 60 directly elected seats and 60 seats appointed from a party list system. Such a move would result in “more women participating in politics.”

Considering the prospect of a 31^st Dail led by a Fine Gael-Labour coalition, Mr Gormley counselled against a continuation of the “politics of old” calling Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore “tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber.”

Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton “had to breach litter laws” for allegedly put her election campaign posters up early, according to the party leader.

Mr Gormley further regretted the current government had not introduced a ban on corporate donations to “break the link between big businesses and political parties.”

Sinn Fein’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin spoke against the cut in the minimum wage, cuts to pensions and “disastrous decisions of the outgoing government” which were responsible for the “banking black hole.”

Deputy Ó Caoláin’s party stood “firm against the consensus of cuts” and the EU/IMF deal that was “not acceptable, not affordable and ruinous of the Irish economy and the Irish people… [having been negotiated] by a ruined government.”

The Td for Cavan-Monaghan indicated plans to improve infrastructure and public services through a politics based on “commitment and not careerism.”

It is understood Gerry Adams will represent Sinn Fein at any leader’s debates in the run up to the election

Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk closed the final proceedings of the 30^th Dail advising, “The dail now stands adjourned.”

President McAleese formally dissolved the Dail this afternoon

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