Kenny apologises to Begg after 'vested interests' website reference
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was today attempting to repair the damage done to his relations with the country’s top trade unionists.
Mr Kenny, campaigning in Cork, apologised to the boss of Congress, David Begg, after the Fine Gael website labelled trade unions one of the big vested interests to blame for the current economic crisis.
“I’m sorry if David Begg is offended,” he said.
Mr Kenny insisted the reference, which lumped the unions in with bankers, bondholders and developers, had not been included in the party manifesto.
He said that a letter should have been sent to Congress chief Mr Begg explaining the website remarks.
Thie response was criticised by Meath East Fianna Fáil TD, Thomas Byrne, who said that the position has already been outlined in widely-distributed leaflets.
"The party has sent out 3.1 million election addresses with the attack on unions as an integral part of the text," he said.
"Is Enda Kenny now actually saying that his election address is not party policy? This wouldn’t be surprising because the Fine Gael campaign is all about PR tactics and nothing about what it actually intends to do in Government. "
Siptu general president Jack O’Connor, who earlier this week claimed a Fine Gael government was a recipe for disaster, said he was not surprised by the comments on the party website.
The dispute with the umbrella trade union group could do further damage to relations with Labour, already soured by tit-for-tat attacks on both parties’ economic plans.
But Mr Kenny insisted he was not getting involved in a war of words with his closest political rivals and was focused on the electorate.
“I’m not having a row with the Labour Party,” he said.
“My comments and conversations with the Irish people – there’s something much more than bickering involved here.
“If the Labour Party wants to take sniping shots at Fine Gael from the sidelines, I’m far more interested in listening to the people.”
The Fine Gael leader refused to say whether the tax row with Labour would increase pressure during possible negotiations on a programme for government.
The two parties are first and second in the polls with some experts predicting single party control for Fine Gael if it can draw on support from some independents.
The two parties fired broadsides at one another yesterday with claims that Labour would hit households for another €1,300 in tax each year and Fine Gael €1,000.
Labour has also been using newspapers adverts to attack Fine Gael.
