Set out your vision, Taoiseach

Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

Editorial

Taoiseach Enda Kenny brings his party back home this weekend.

The Fine Gael Ard Fheis is being held in the Taoiseach's home town of Castlebar, providing a significant boost to the local economy.

Hotels and guest houses for miles around are booked out with visiting delegates.

Up against it in his Mayo constituency to return with the historic four seats won in the 2011 general election, Mr Kenny will avail of the opportunity to remind voters of the benefits of power. Constituency boundary changes have reduced the number of seats from five to four, so the Taoiseach is probably looking at losing two of those seats.

The electorate wasn't letting the Taoiseach rest on his laurels in the local elections, when Fine Gael lost control of Mayo County Council and failed to elect a councillor in Castlebar town.

Aside from the local interest, Mr Kenny's keynote address tonight will be televised to the nation. The Taoiseach will predictably focus on job creation and tax cuts. He will also speak about the importance of bedding down the economic recovery and not putting the progress at risk.

Mr Kenny uses every opportunity he gets to take a pop at his opponents. He frequently reminds voters of the damage caused to the country by Fianna Fáil and warns about the potential for instability if left-wing parties come to power.

On the comfort of his home turf, however, the Taoiseach has a chance to set aside the politics and set out his vision for the future of the country.

The cliche about living in a society, not an economy, is all too often thrown about by the Taoiseach and his acolyte ministers. What does it mean?

Mr Kenny speaks about Ireland becoming the best small country in the world to do business, to raise a family and to grow old with dignity. But how does this actually work?

As the centenary of 1916 approaches the Taoiseach has to seize the day to show whether he truly is the right person to lead the country beyond the next general election - or if he was a leader for a time of crisis, but not a leader for when the nation moves forward into a new era.