It might have been billed as a 15-round slugfest but the main business of the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting was over within a few minutes.
Indeed, the only bit of friction occurred right at the start, when Dublin TD Josepha Madigan proposed a ban on mobile phones, following the flow of leaks from last week’s meeting. She did not succeed, but for once the TDs and Senators observed the rule they have always ignored. There was a complete dearth of texts and SMS messages from the meeting until shortly after the Taoiseach finished speaking, and then normal leaking resumed.
The packed room comprising about 70 TDs, Senators and MEPs did not know quite what to expect. For a week, the Taoiseach had stayed schtum. There was always the possibility he could mount a truculent defence and say he wasn’t going anywhere. There was also the possibility he could have said he was going immediately.
In the event, he read from a script, which he had not done before at a party meeting. It was very short, lasting a little over eight minutes. He recounted his vast experience as a TD and as a leader – he is in his 42nd year in the Dáil – and told his colleagues the issue was never about a person or persons, not even about a party, but about the people, and he would always put country first and never undermine the people.
Nearing end
It was, said one colleague, the first indication from him that the end of his long reign at the helm of his party was nearing an end.
He said he would return shortly after St Patrick’s Day and would then deal with the issue “conclusively and effectively”.
These were the key words, signalling to everybody in the room he was ready to sketch out the endgame of his career in high office.
He delivered the speech in a very deliberate and slow voice, low enough that some members found it hard to catch. There were no histrionics and no raised voice.
He finished the speech to sustained applause from party members. Nobody else spoke or responded. The chairman, Martin Heydon, moved the meeting on to the next topic. And that was that. There was nothing else to it.
Kenny had a dig at the Dublin North West Fine Gael TD Noel Rock as they began the meeting, with a mild criticism about the accuracy of the note-taking. Rock is secretary of the parliamentary party. He also proposed Kenny for Taoiseach in the Dáil four times and then marched on to the plinth last week calling for him to name a date for moving on.
The reaction from colleagues – both supporters and dissenters – dovetailed for once.
“If he said ‘feck off, I’m going nowhere’ it would be open season,” said one dissident, who spoke on condition of not being named. “If he said I am going, that would have been ideal. He hit the middle and it was difficult to complain about it without sounding unreasonable.”
Authority
Both main contenders in the succession race were happy with the outcome. Simon Coveney said Kenny had shown an authority that would allow a transition that “would keep the party together and the Government together. More or less what I was hoping would happen did happen,” he said.
“He is not fazed by these things and he showed calm and experience tonight.”
Leo Varadkar similarly said that everyone was relieved that damaging divisions had been avoided.
For another dissenter, this was an admission from the Taoiseach that the end was come. “The genie cannot be put back in the bottle. What I read tonight was he will to go to Washington and he will go on his own terms.”
So Kenny has fended off the decision until the latter end of March. Some of his most ardent supporters read a little wiggle room in his speech, buying him some more time. For others, especially those supporting Varadkar, there was confidence the issue will be settled by mid-April.
“He avoided a motion of no confidence which is good. It has everyone relieved. It should be all resolved by Easter,” said a Varadkar supporter.
Easter Sunday falls on April 16th.
