Is it time for a 'State of the Nation' address by Taoiseach Enda Kenny?

[Pinaferris]

We have a new Government. There are problems to be solved. But 'change' hasn't been grabbed by the scruff of the neck. People are still being drip fed more bad news on a daily basis. We desperately need a Presidential style address, which will honestly and truthfully tell us how bad it has to get before it gets better. And even more importantly we need to actually see 'real vision' in action, showing us the citizens that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It is only then, that we can exercise a collective will, and march forward, rebuilding our country knowing that it will not be in vain, safe in the knowledge that there is indeed a strong captain manning the tiller of our ship in choppy waters.

This can best be achieved only through 'strong leadership' from a 'Strong Leader'.

My friend, you obviously do not read the papers. You can put go faster stripes on a Ford Fiesta but its still a Ford Fiesta. Nothing wrong with the car because it will plod on and never let you down and never will be the main attraction at the Geneva Show.

Let us see him!

[Radix]

Fair enough on the State of the Nation-esque address, but where is Enda these days?

This probably belongs on the "Politicians who look like things" thread on political humour, but in all an' anyways....

That damned elusive pimpernel?

[Radix]

Found this underneath the fax machine.

Am wondering a little.

For National Release.

“My fellow citizens, children, women and men.

I would like to start my ‘State of the Nation’ address by thanking those who sympathised with my extended family and I on the loss of my beloved mother Eithne, since her sad death last week; we will miss her dearly as a loving and unifying force in our family, and if I may say so, everything in our lives begins and ends with ‘family’.

With humility, and with the memory of my dearly loved mother in my mind, I want to say that we all, and particularly us your elected leaders, in the past, have played no small part in causing some of the pain and hardship we are enduring at the moment.

Leadership, when it was needed during the so called Celtic Tiger years, was sadly lacking by many of us in public life, and for this I apologise on behalf of all of us who are tasked to serve you in public life, and I wish to make restitution to you the people, my fellow brothers and sisters, who are the backbone of this nation, you who will make us great again in the eyes of the world.

To this aim, you at the moment are enduring hardships in no small part, and I want to show to you, and prove to you by my actions, that I am truly part of your number.

It has been commented upon, that because I was a Teacher in my younger days, before I was given the great honour of working in another way in a Public Service capacity, that I am now entitled to a pension for my former job through the anomalies of our public payments system.

I am already well paid, and I do not need this so called ‘entitlement‘, so I would like to donate every part of it, from the bottom of my heart, to the Saint Vincent de Paul and Barnardos, whose volunteers tirelessly strive to bring about some relief to those who suffer in our society.

Furthermore, as a gesture of solidarity with you my fellow citizens, I am going to forego the wage I earn as your Taoiseach, above my previous earning as one of your TD’s, to the aforementioned charities, at least until such time that we exit this programme of austerity inflicted upon us by the wasteful actions of previous Governments, and once again regain our sovereignty as a Nation, with the true hope of a brighter future.

By virtue of our common humanity, it is necessary for me that I do this, so that I can try to be a good Leader, who truly cares about you, my people, and also to share the sacrifices we are all continuing to make, as we move together, and forwards towards a shared future which will be brighter for us and our children, and the generations to come.

On the question of our relationship with those who are helping us to pay our bills at the moment, I wish to say that we are fortunate in the support of our neighbouring countries in the European Community with whom our sovereignty as it is, is being shared.

It is becoming necessary for us to respond to the solidarity our neighbours are showing us in our difficult times, by being equally generous, with the inevitable and necessarily imaginative ways of making sure that we never will have to go through such a period of pain and hardship again.

Truthfully, we have had a boom of excess in the recent past, and now we are paying a difficult price for this. But I can tell you, that this will pass; in fact I pledge to you my fellow citizens, my sisters and brothers, that it will pass, especially if we come closer together as a family, as a community, and work together.

Let us together, build a brighter future for ourselves and each other, mindful that without each other, we have nothing at all.”

Ends.

[Radix]

Thanks for that Dave.

[CarnivalOfAction]

As usual, you're wrong.

Herr Enda : No money for SNA's, Pensioners thrown out of their care homes, Medical card fee, Prescription Fee, Child allowance cut , ......and €35,000 EXTRA for his buddy , and ex PD, Conlon !

Good to see the oul PDs still doing so well.

[greengoose2]

To quote the great man (from the 2007 GE) "Dream on Baby"!

Found this underneath the fax machine.

Am wondering a little.

For National Release.

“My fellow citizens, children, women and men.

I would like to start my ‘State of the Nation’ address by thanking those who sympathised with my extended family and I on the loss of my beloved mother Eithne, since her sad death last week; we will miss her dearly as a loving and unifying force in our family, and if I may say so, everything in our lives begins and ends with ‘family’.

With humility, and with the memory of my dearly loved mother in my mind, I want to say that we all, and particularly us your elected leaders, in the past, have played no small part in causing some of the pain and hardship we are enduring at the moment.

Leadership, when it was needed during the so called Celtic Tiger years, was sadly lacking by many of us in public life, and for this I apologise on behalf of all of us who are tasked to serve you in public life, and I wish to make restitution to you the people, my fellow brothers and sisters, who are the backbone of this nation, you who will make us great again in the eyes of the world.

To this aim, you at the moment are enduring hardships in no small part, and I want to show to you, and prove to you by my actions, that I am truly part of your number.

It has been commented upon, that because I was a Teacher in my younger days, before I was given the great honour of working in another way in a Public Service capacity, that I am now entitled to a pension for my former job through the anomalies of our public payments system.

I am already well paid, and I do not need this so called ‘entitlement‘, so I would like to donate every part of it, from the bottom of my heart, to the Saint Vincent de Paul and Barnardos, whose volunteers tirelessly strive to bring about some relief to those who suffer in our society.

Furthermore, as a gesture of solidarity with you my fellow citizens, I am going to forego the wage I earn as your Taoiseach, above my previous earning as one of your TD’s, to the aforementioned charities, at least until such time that we exit this programme of austerity inflicted upon us by the wasteful actions of previous Governments, and once again regain our sovereignty as a Nation, with the true hope of a brighter future.

By virtue of our common humanity, it is necessary for me that I do this, so that I can try to be a good Leader, who truly cares about you, my people, and also to share the sacrifices we are all continuing to make, as we move together, and forwards towards a shared future which will be brighter for us and our children, and the generations to come.

On the question of our relationship with those who are helping us to pay our bills at the moment, I wish to say that we are fortunate in the support of our neighbouring countries in the European Community with whom our sovereignty as it is, is being shared.

It is becoming necessary for us to respond to the solidarity our neighbours are showing us in our difficult times, by being equally generous, with the inevitable and necessarily imaginative ways of making sure that we never will have to go through such a period of pain and hardship again.

Truthfully, we have had a boom of excess in the recent past, and now we are paying a difficult price for this. But I can tell you, that this will pass; in fact I pledge to you my fellow citizens, my sisters and brothers, that it will pass, especially if we come closer together as a family, as a community, and work together.

Let us together, build a brighter future for ourselves and each other, mindful that without each other, we have nothing at all.”

Ends.