Cowen bemoans 'trial and test' of time in office
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has depicted his short time in office as a "trial and test" during which he battled to fix past mistakes.
In a downbeat farewell speech before the dissolution of the Dáil, Mr Cowen insisted he had the good of the people in mind for every decision he made.
But he appealed for history to judge his leadership in the context of the events at the time and his motivation, which he said was always the best interests of the country.
"I know some of the decisions my Government had to take were not popular. But they had to be taken," he said.
After weeks of speculation, the General Election date was finally confirmed for Friday February 25, after Mr Cowen travelled to Aras an Uachtaráin to ask President Mary McAleese to officially dissolve the 30th Dáil.
In his valedictory address to fellow TDs, Mr Cowen said his two-and-a-half years as Taoiseach were "a time of great trial and test" but that he "worked hard to correct past failures and to secure the future recovery of our country".
"I believe politics is about serving the interests of the people first and last," he said.
"That was my motivation starting out in public life and I stayed true to it right to the end.
"In every decision I took, as Taoiseach, I can honestly say the common good was my overriding concern, and loyalty to this country and its people informed every choice I made."
Mr Cowen declared last night he was stepping down from politics and would not fight to retain the Laois/Offaly seat he took 27 years ago after the death of his father Ber, who previously represented the constituency.
But ahead of the polls, in which support for his Fianna Fáil party is widely expected to collapse, he appealed for voters to abandon personality politics and closely examine policies.
The outgoing Taoiseach warned the election would define Ireland's future and whether it moves on from, prolongs, or succumbs to the economic crisis.
"The choice, in many ways, is that fundamental," he said.
Mr Cowen also insisted the economy retained many strengths and urged his adversaries to "not talk Ireland down for short-term political gain".
But despite a standing ovation to mark the end of Taoiseach's reign, the Opposition wasted no time in attacking Fianna Fáil for driving the country to the brink of financial catastrophe.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr Cowen had led what was in many people's estimation the worst government in living memory.
Also using the occasion to campaign weeks before the election, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore attacked Fianna Fáil for selling out to the banks, the EU and the IMF.
Mr Gilmore branded both Fianna Fáil and his potential coalition partners Fine Gael as the "Celtic Tory" consensus.
Green Party leader John Gormley said he was proud of many measures brought in while they shared power with Fianna Fáil, including civil partnership, planning and banking regulation reform.
Mr Gormley urged the new government to overhaul the political system with a new Dáil made up of 60 TDs elected from constituencies and 60 more drawn from an expert "list system".
Describing Fine Gael and Labour as "Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber", he said it was time to abandon old-style politics.
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghin O Caolain said Mr Cowen's government had impoverished people to throw money into the black hole of the banking system.
He said it was one of the worst governments not only in Ireland but anywhere.
