THE COMPETENCE of Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader-designate Brian Cowen has been questioned by Opposition leader Enda Kenny.
In an address to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in London yesterday, he posed the question, "Is Mr Cowen Up To the Job?"
The Fine Gael leader continued: "Mr Cowen must now move beyond his bland banalities about reform, to setting out [ and] implementing a credible strategy to forestall a longer-term economic slump. This will require some imagination, political courage, new priorities and new initiatives across a range of areas."
He made a number of recommendations to Mr Cowen, including sticking to the 2008 public spending targets.
"As unemployment-related welfare payments soar above target, and as the shortfall in taxes widens, the credibility of Ireland's fiscal policy requires Mr Cowen to set out in clear terms how he intends to deliver his spending targets for 2008 without compromising front-line services or vital infrastructure programmes," said Mr Kenny.
The Fine Gael leader also called for a new programme for Government, saying "Fianna Fáil's election promises as outlined in the Programme for Government are no longer affordable."
On the impending pay talks, Mr Kenny said: "Mr Cowen could regain the high moral ground and send the right signals by cancelling inflation-busting and unjustified pay increases that he and his fellow Ministers accepted last year."
The Fine Gael leader added: "The Government's feeble attempts to regulate anti-competitive sectors has become like a slow bicycle race. Action is always another report away."
