HARRIS A SIMON MAN WITH DOYLE LEANING TO LEO
THE FINE GAEL leadership race has only begun and already TDs and councillors around the country will have to decide who they see fit to lead their party now that Enda Kenny has resigned as An Taoiseach.
It will be a difficult battle between Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar but so far in Wicklow, Minister for Health Simon Harris has pledged support for Coveney.
‘I have come to know Simon very well over the last number of years and I really admire his positive and “can do” attitude. He has proven himself, time and time again, to be a man who can bring people together and build alliances to deliver results on the issues that matter to people. Politics and society have become very fractured and Simon wants to re- unite communities and re-unite this country. That is precisely what we need right now and I believe Simon Coveney will deliver on this,’ he said.
He commended Coveney on his approach to difficult issues such as homelessness and water and said that he believes his colleague ‘confronts challenges’.
‘Brexit is one of the greatest challenges facing this country right now and for the foreseea- ble future. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has done a superb job in negotiating the initial discussion guidelines and I think it is hugely important that we build from this position. Simon has great experience in Europe given that he was three years an MEP and subsequently as Minister for Agriculture he successfully chaired EU Council of Minister meetings to deliver major CAP and Fisheries reforms for this country,’ Minister Harris added.
‘I genuinely believe that Simon Coveney is the right person at the right time for the job of Party Leader and Taoiseach. He said today that he was ‘fighting for the soul of the party and the soul of the country’ and he has my support in that fight,’ he said.
Deputy Doyle was also quick to pay tribute to Enda Kenny – and gave reason why he’s planning to vote for Mr Varadkar.
He said: ‘We are very fortunate in Fine Gael to have two candidates of the calibre of Minister Leo Varadkar and Minister Simon Coveney. Having such able contestants for the leadership has resulted in strong consideration been given to my decision on who to support as leader.
‘My decision to support Leo Varadkar is based on my belief that he processes the characteristics necessary to bring the Fine Gael party and the principles of pragmatic politics back into the main stream of public acceptance.
‘ There has been an on-going shift towards populist politics, which promises to deliver the undeliverable. In my opinion, Leo has the ability to inspire confidence in the public management of the state and the economy. He has the capabilities and qualities necessary to have a long term vision for the country and to en sure confidence in both Fine Gael and the Government, working on the founding principles of Fine Gael.
About the departing Taoiseach, Deputy Doyle said: ‘During his 15 years as leader of Fine Gael, it is reasonable to say that Enda Kenny brought the party to a position where it was on the verge of being written out of history, to becoming the largest political party in the state, in particular, over the last six years.
‘He deserves to be given due accolades and due acknowledgement for his achievements. It was an honour to work along side him within the party of Fine Gael and I personally wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life.’