Howlin: Coveney and Varadkar using FG leadership race to 'drag country further to the right'
Labour leader Brendan Howlin has accused mooted future Fine Gael leaders Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar of using the race to replace Taoiseach Enda Kenny to "drag the country further to the right", .
The opposition TD made the comment as he took aim at the "do nothing" Government as a whole, saying the "rag-bag" coalition is failing the public by continuing to insist on its "austerity fetish".
During a live TV key note speech at Labour's annual conference in Wexford this evening, Mr Howlin - who just a year ago was still sitting at the cabinet table with Fine Gael - said the party is not acting in people's best interests.
And he was particularly scathing of Housing Minister Mr Coveney and Social Protection Minister Mr Varadkar, saying both are failing those who are depending on them to improve the country.
"This is a sham of a Government - Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and a rag-bag of Independents who show no ambition. And they seem quite content about it.
"Leo and Simon square up to each other, playing to their base, dragging the country further to the right. Running a false election based on tax cuts and shutting down Bus Eireann. Dog whistles to their supporters on the right.
"Meanwhile, Enda [Kenny] and Micheal [Martin] are content to play for time. It means that Government begins to do actual harm.
"On the economy, we have a single party, right-wing Fine Gael Government - even [business group] IBEC say the Government has an austerity fetish. After everything we've gone through over the last 10 years, we are entitled to better," he said.
During the same speech, Mr Howlin also took aim at rival left-wing opposition parties, saying their policies are based on "fear and out of hurt" whose solutions "would only make things worse".
"Brexit happened, Trump happened, and Le Pen might happen. People are voting, in large part, out of fear and out of hurt. There are many people, too many, happy to prey on these fears.
"And they are not restricted to the US, or to Britain, or to France. We have our own. Less extreme, perhaps. But hurlers on the ditch nonetheless, who will say anything to make people afraid, whose 'solutions' would only make things worse."
He said Labour "must step up" and be "ready to put our shoulder to the wheel", adding that Government is failing to properly protect Ireland from the fallout from Brexit and is wrong to attempt to appease US president Donald Trump.
"He is a racist, sexist, homophobe who doesn't have the patience to run the world's greatest power. He's a danger to us all," he said.
