Protest march overshadows Taoiseach's speech
Taoiseach Enda Kenny warned his party had no cause to celebrate while hard-pressed families struggle, despite earlier urging them to cough up for the controversial household charge.
More than 800,000 householders had still not paid the €100 levy in the run-up to the Taoiseach’s address at the 76th Fine Gael ard fheis in Dublin city centre.
An angry mob of over 5,000 protesters marched to the conference at the Convention Centre and called for the Government to scrap the charge just hours before he delivered his keynote speech to 4,000 party delegates.
“As we gather at this ard fheis, our purpose cannot be one of celebration,” said Mr Kenny.
“We will not celebrate until Ireland has reason to celebrate. Tonight, unemployment remains too high. Too many families are struggling to make ends meet. Too many worry about losing their homes. Too many of our children are still moving away.”
The Local Government Management Agency said an estimated 770,980 householders had paid the household charge by 7pm today. The deadline to register is midnight.
The Government hopes to raise around €160m from the charge – money which will be used to fund public services such as footpath and parks maintenance, and public libraries.
It had raised around €73.5m by late afternoon.
Earlier, Mr Kenny said he was heartened by those who had already paid the levy, which he described as the law of the land.
But crowds of angry protesters waving placards and banners, some depicting Environment Minister Phil Hogan as Adolf Hitler, argued they could not afford the “unfair” €100 charge.
Opposition TDs have suggested the Government scraps the charge and raises the money through a wealth tax.
Nine TDs from the Technical Group had previously warned the Government would have a mass revolt of people power on its hands as a result of the levy.
In his speech, Mr Kenny acknowledged the hardship many are enduring, but insisted stabilising Ireland’s economy was the Government’s priority.
This was Mr Kenny’s first Ard Fheis as Taoiseach and the party’s first one in 16 years since it was last in Government.
“I know that for many people, the measures we have had to take have been painful,” he went on.
“But we are doing the best we can to protect the most vulnerable.”
Meanwhile, the media were up in arms during part of the ard fheis when Convention Centre staff closed window blinds to block their view of the anti-household charge protesters outside.
It is believed Gardaí advised the blinds be shut for fear of people in the Convention Centre provoking those outside.
But a Garda spokesman refused to comment, saying if officers had ordered for the blinds to be shut, it would have been an operational matter.
The Taoiseach also took the opportunity during his speech, which was broadcast live on TV, to reinforce the Government’s commitment to Europe in paying its debts.
“Let me be clear. I will not throw away the progress we have made in the last year by reneging on our international commitments,” he went on.
“Ireland will not default. But we are determined to ease this burden on our people.”
Mr Kenny said an example of this was the ongoing negotiations with the Troika - the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank – to restructure promissory note payments to the former Anglo Irish Bank.
A Red C opinion poll for Paddy Power released yesterday showed 35% of the electorate would vote for Fine Gael if an election were called tomorrow.
Independents would secure first-preference votes from 20% of the population, followed by Labour with 16%, Fianna Fáil with 15% and Sinn Féin on 14%.
