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ENDA KENNY’S TENURE as Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach is drawing to an end this evening.
He has finally outlined a timeline for his departure, telling his party colleagues he will step down at midnight.
Kenny will stay on as Taoiseach during the leadership contest, which begins tomorrow.
The contest is expected to conclude by Friday 2 June – just before the bank holiday weekend – when the party will announce a new leader.
Keen not to be seen to be ‘pushed out’ of the top job in Irish politics, for some time now the Taoiseach has been refusing to say when exactly he would step aside.
He told voters he would not seek a third term as Taoiseach in advance of last February’s general election. And, since last summer, some party members have been vocal in stating they want a clear indication when he would be stepping down.
The Taoiseach, who is also the longest-serving TD in the Dáil, faced down the threat of a motion of no confidence and chose to ignore calls from some of younger members of the party who took to the airwaves to say his position was untenable.
However, in the background of all this, Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, the apparent front-runners to take his job, have been in election-mode for some time now.
Well, basically we will have another Taoiseach leading the country fairly soon.
Every party has its own way of selecting its leaders – Sinn Féin got some heat over the lack of transparency around the appointment of Michelle O’Neill in the North, while Labour’s Alan Kelly took issue with not being able to contest for the leadership within his own party.
Each party follows its own rules. There hasn’t been a leadership contest in Fine Gael for quite a long time, so let’s dust off the rule book.
Candidates must be members of Dáil Éireann and must be nominated in writing by members representing at least 10% of the parliamentary party.
This all has to be done within seven days of the vacancy arising.
Meanwhile, the Executive Council of the party (the group that takes core organisational decisions for the party and is elected at the party’s Ard Fheis) will begin to organise the election.
The group of around 30 people, which includes some TDs and registered party members, make arrangements for the campaign.
The position of leader of the Fine Gael parliamentary party is determined by the electoral college system.
It’s made up of the parliamentary party members (TDs, senators, and MEPs), members of the party (people who are registered as Fine Gael members) and councillors.
Each group has a different voting weight, which is as follows:
No member shall be entitled to vote more than once (as you might imagine).
How do they vote, are there polling booths?
Each member eligible to vote will be issued with a ballot paper in a manner approved by the Executive Council. Members cast their vote at polling centres on the date fixed by the council.
When is polling day?
According to the rules, polling day and times of polling are determined by the National Executive but shall not be later than 20 days after a vacancy in the position of leader arises.
However in exceptional circumstances, the Executive Council, in consultation with the chairperson of the parliamentary party, may extend this time.
Councillors vote on the same day and at the same venues as the party membership, while parliamentary party members cast their votes at a special parliamentary party meeting convened by the chairperson (due to be held Friday 2 June).
Then what?
Traditionally speaking, once there is a new party leader, the sitting Taoiseach would vacate his office in an orderly fashion, at which point the Dáil would then have to elect a Taoiseach by voting in the chamber.
The Dáil is in recess the week after the June Bank holiday, so it’s expected a vote for Taoiseach will be held on their first day back, Tuesday 13 June.
So, there you have it.
Watch this space.
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Don’t worry, Micky D won’t rock the boat.
He’s firmly embedded in the establishment now.
@Tommy Haze: By “Micky D” challenging the Government’s Bill, is he not actually rocking the boat.
@Sean O’Doherty: hes not challenging it, just checking that its constitutional he can request further clarification and changes but the real challanges only occur in the courts
@Spanner: correct
Please allow us to keep the corruption flowing, yours sincerely, FFG.
@bruce banner: Labour managed to get a few of their “cronies” into the lower courts over the years too. Decent lawyers that became judges admiringly . How’s it corruption ? Do you understand the term ? Any of those credible and good enough to be a judge would normally make more money practicing as barristers and solicitors . Vastly more money to be made in the private sector and far less hassle compared to what judges have to deal , professionally and personally . What judge appointments to the Superior courts have you or do you take issue with , in light of their legal background ?
Hey, can we talk about Israel/Palestine and the Garda roster disputes here? Seen as though its pretty much the only comments section actually open….
@Irish turf: Individual opinions are not allowed and are dangerous…to the agenda
@Dave Murray: no, don’t , please . (Obviously one can’t stop you ) This section is about appointment of judges . Your attempt to hijack the topic is why so many articles close their comment section
@Brian Deadly: they tend to be very expensive when they are defamatory . Hence why The Journal close them down .
TJ is really not taking any chances with the trouble in the Middle East.
The memo must have gone out on Saturday to shut down all discussion and debate on the topic.
Should get rid of the comments section if you are closing all the ones people want to comment on.
War is bad but if you keep walking over people and denying their freedom they will react at times.
Well said.
No coment, nó coment, irish goverment need to grow a pair and call out Israel. Complete blockage on Gaza, 2 million people starved
@Spudgesh: fully agree.
Top 5 stories, no comments aloud.
@Jay Kay: allowed
Thoughts and prayers with those on both sides of the Gaza Strip.
Is this normal, or just his mouth always open ? Does he use any medication
@ibrahim Sudane: It’s a thinly disguised grimace. He’s not been well since Sabine had the Strapadictome.
Have the GRA taken over the j0urnal. About 90% of comments are closed, even Ardal O’Hanlon and it obviously isn’t listening to anyone’s comments.
I hope Michael D will find time between his holidays to meet the Council of State. Is it not time to stop Govt appointees and separate the Judiciary and State
Was listening to Shatter on radio earlier. He is further to the right than Net in yahooo and given his record in Justice presumably supports the nets supreme court stance. What happened, to both people’s is disgusting but as usual, nobody is asking, WHY, it has gotten this bar baric. History is conveniently ignored! Every Time I watch a doc on the Holocaust, I wonder what lessons were learned and all of this in the name of religion. At this rate only Atheists will be allowed into heaven. Can you imagine if the Messiah arrived in Gaza tomorrow. No water to turn into wine. I am not belittling the tragedy, I am belittling religious human beliefs. The only thing that is going to stop this is climate change.
@BarryH: With the big exception of his eagerness to support the senior police officers , without looking at the evidence , during the whistle blowers affair ; Shatter was a pretty good Justice Minister ! His hands were tied by huge economic obstacles which in turn forced him to close down Garda stations and put a freeze on recruitment. While neither of these black marks are small fry, he was an excellent minister . In case you have not noticed but , Ireland is not a left wing country ! At best it’s centrist and centre right with the occasional centre left . You want some to big done , want hard and tough decisions made , you vote right wing .
Islamic terrorists on the Luas lines?
Very informative thank you.
Rory Sully ( Irish legal systems )
@Rors: yeah
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