Fresh from his party’s Ard Fheis, Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny looks relaxed as he offers bottled water and we admire the view from his fourth-storey office window overlooking the gardens of Leinster House and the south-side of Merrion Square.
Fine Gael holds only one seat in Carlow/Kilkenny, a constituency whose demographic would intimate a greater return than that.
Business people here and in the rest of the country have many gripes about the over-bureaucratic approach of the current administration, but would a Fine Gael-led government be an attractive alternative?
“We would appoint a minister for small enterprise,” said Mr Kenny, “who would listen to people in business. We know they want less bureaucracy and we know they want fewer audits. We know it is fundamental that small businesses get paid on time and we would put in place a system which would ensure that. There’s no point in bringing in legislation for it and then not monitoring it. The skill and expertise to monitor a working system is out there and we should be using it. We would also change the way the Budget is done; we would leave a longer space of time between the estimates and the Budget and allow more time for debate.”
Office space in Kilkenny
On the subject of lack of office space for local business in Kilkenny, Enda Kenny is keen on the idea of land being allocated for a local business park.
“Kilkenny needs somewhere for local and national business and that would be something for Enterprise Ireland and the county council to work out between them,” he said.
“Local authorities, in their rezoning, should be looking at both indigenous options for business, which will provide money if the facilities are there, and for inward investment from the IDA. Kilkenny is not in a position to attract the really large companies, as access to an airport is crucial for executives, but the county could benefit from spin-offs from large investors.”
Infrastructure
Facilities and infrastructure for local, national and international business, principally Broadband and the roads network, are a current preoccupation of Kilkenny’s business community.
“People have been messed around enough with the slow introduction of Broadband,” said Mr Kenny. “We should be far further ahead and everybody should have wireless Broadband. Doing business in Ballina should be the same as doing business in Dublin. Ireland is in a very competitive era now and we have some advantages over our competitors. Apart from the language, we also offer a 12% business tax rate which encourages massive external investment. We should also be offering infrastructure. That means wireless Broadband being available to everyone in the country. It also means roads, and Fine Gael would continue with the roads projects.”
Third-level
Kilkenny does not, according to Enda Kenny, need a University but rather a research-based institution.
“Education is changing,” he said. “We need to look at an amalgamation of academia, technology and business; a third-level, research institution which would break down the barriers between the world of academia and the business world.”
Chambers of Commerce
Opening up communication between business and the community is an area where Mr Kenny thinks Chambers of Commerce can play a part.
“I see Chambers of Commerce are improving their communication and I think that’s very important,” he said. “Chambers of Commerce abroad have a different remit in authority, influence and contact than they have here. The network of Chambers of Commerce in Ireland has always been strong but it’s never been anything like it could be. Chambers of Commerce are an important economic and human local entity with ideas that should be shared.
A strong chamber could provide leadership in its community in so many ways.”
And on a personal note…
“Yes, I would say I am a spiritual man,” said Mr Kenny. “I believe in the hereafter. I am a Catholic; I could be a better one. I’m a Christian. I come from the land of Michael Davitt. We do not live in airy-fairy land up there. We have our feet on the ground. I was inspired by my father who was a TD from 1954-75. We didn’t see much of him growing up and communication then was not like it is now. I keep in contact with my children a lot and when we’re together, we spend what’s called ‘quality time’ together. We go to Killarney on holidays. We don’t own property abroad. We like to go somewhere different every year so the children will get to know different places.”
“At the moment I’m reading “Opportunity” by Richard Haas. I’m a voracious reader and I’ll have about 20 books on the go at the one time.
Name : Enda Kenny
Born : 24 April 1951 in Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Education : St. Patrick’s Teacher Training College, Drumcondra & NUI Dublin. Qualified as a Primary School Teacher.
Political career : Has represented the people of Mayo in Dáil Eireann since 1975 when he was first elected in a by-election following the death of his father, Henry Kenny. He has been elected at nine consecutive elections since then as a Fine Gael TD. Under Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald he served as Minister of State at the Department of Education & Labour from 1986-’87. During his period as a TD he has served as party spokesperson on Education, Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands, Western Development and Youth Affairs and Sport. Mr Kenny negotiated, on behalf of Fine Gael, the Programme for Government with the Labour and Democratic Left parties prior to the formation of the Rainbow Coalition Government in 1994. Under Taoiseach, John Bruton he was appointed Minister for Tourism and Trade in 1994. He has been the leader of Fine Gael since 2002.
Enda Kenny is married to Fionnuala and they have three children aged 13, 11 and 9.
What can he not leave home without? His sense of humour
What would he like as an epitaph? He did his best.
by Katharine Blake, Freelance Journalist and Editor
Katharine Blake - Freelance Journalist and Editor 