Leader's speech:Edited version of Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny's speech to the conference.
"My friends, tonight, I want to take you on a journey.
I want to show you what's possible for our country, for our families, with a change of government, a change of priorities and a change of heart.
Because even after years of waste of money, broken promises, broken trust, I believe it's never too late for Ireland to become what it can be. A country of even greater hope, an island of even better opportunity, a modern, prosperous caring society.
Gandhi said: "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
When it comes to Ireland, Fine Gael will be that change.
Fine Gael wants to give Ireland a new team, with new ideas, a new government with new energy to solve our country's problems, to get our money working for our people.
And I'll be proud to lead Ireland on that journey. Not just with a new government. But with a different kind of government. Honest government. With honest leadership.
Because to me, that's real leadership. Leadership for the the 21st century. Leadership people can trust. Because it's leadership that keeps its word.
And that new government, that different kind of government, will put the people's interest over Party interest. Put the country's interest over vested interest. Put the public interest over private interest.
In the last 20 years, Ireland has achieved great economic success. And we can all share the credit. Every family, every business, every political party, every community.
Tonight, I'm proud of Fine Gael's role in bringing the economy to where it is. 25 years ago, Fianna Fáil almost broke this country. But Fine Gael brought Ireland back from the brink. True to form, we put the country over the party.
The Tallaght Strategy, itself, proved our guiding principle - Ireland first. That was honest leadership. And through that courage, that honesty, the seeds of the Celtic Tiger were sown.
We're one the richest countries in the world. But we should be so much better off.
The health system is in a state of national emergency. It's not safe to walk many of our streets. Thousands of children leave school without being able to read or write properly.
Poverty and homelessness are breaking futures, breaking hearts. And suicide is leaving families shattered, communities devastated. Many of Ireland's problems still go unsolved. Because, when there is no leadership, no honest leadership, society stands still.
Progress will come for Ireland only when honest leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.
So, let's seize that opportunity. It's within reach. Let's seize the day for Ireland. Eight years on, it's perfectly obvious. Fianna Fáil and the PDs have taken Ireland as far as they can.
Their time is up. They're absolutely right on one issue: there's more to do.
Because to reach its promise, Ireland needs a government who will work as hard as the people. Who knows that government is not about announcing. It's about delivering.
The Taoiseach, himself, could be so much more demanding. Demand that Ministers step up and take responsibility. Have the honesty to take the credit. And the blame. Side by side.
Let's be clear, the next election is a contest for Ireland's future. And Fine Gael will, with a clear, positive agenda, build a better, more modern, more compassionate Ireland.
Recently, the Taoiseach had a brilliant agenda for Ireland's future. Leading a military parade down O'Connell Street to commemorate 1916. If you're 76 and lying on a hospital trolley or if you're spending the equivalent of a day a week commuting, a military parade isn't top of your agenda. It's not even on your agenda. It's only on the Taoiseach's agenda.
But Fine Gael are different. We understand the lives people are living. That's why we're working on practical ways to solve their problems. No empty promises from us. Like the waiting lists that were supposed to disappear. And the 2,000 extra gardaí who actually did.
This Government have lost touch with reality. They've lost their connection to people and the lives they're living. Remote, arrogant, complacent, they've broken so many promises. But there's one thing you can say about them for sure. That when Fianna Fáil and the PDs have your money to burn, my God, they go right ahead and they burn it. That gross waste is not just reckless. It's dangerous.
Think of how many patients we could treat with the €160 million wasted on PPARS?
Think how many bright new classrooms and playgrounds we could've built with the €120 million lavished on the so called Bertie Bowl?
Think how many gardaí we could've put on our streets with the €60 million squandered on electronic voting? Yet, to Ministers that wanton waste is just "small change". That small-change mentality is proof that in this Government, nothing is ever anyone's fault. Why? Because the Taoiseach doesn't set standards. He will brazenly defend the indefensible instead of facing up to his mistakes.
Well let me be clear. I will not tolerate waste or incompetence in any Fine Gael government. No minister will run amok with the people's hard-earned money. Anyone responsible for the equivalent of PPARs will be shown the door.
You can trust me on that.
It was the Rainbow government, where Pat Rabbitte and I worked side by side, that put Ireland in the black for the first time in almost 30 years.
We kept inflation down. We set corporation tax at 12.5 per cent creating massive inward investment and a thousand new jobs a week. We handed over the economy intact to Fianna Fáil and the PDs. And they've wasted huge chunks of it ever since. We will reform the way we spend that money.
I want to be very clear. Fine Gael believes in a low tax economy. We have enough taxes. This year the Exchequer will take in a billion euro more than expected. The ending of the SSIA scheme will bring an extra two to three billion into the public purse over the next two years. So it's clear we have enough money. Fine Gael is committed to no increases in personal tax, corporate tax, or capital taxes.
My commitment to honest leadership means that in government we will tax carefully, spend wisely, invest well. Our thriving economy will be the means to an end. Not just the end in itself. Because to us the economy is the servant of the people. Never the master.
Which is why our government will use that economy to deliver first-class services to the first-class people of this country, in areas that really matter. In government, we will set up a national screening programme to give men and women free regular health checks. Screening for diabetes alone would save lives, misery and up to a billion euro for the taxpayer.
We want to give people first-class healthcare when and where they need it. Not in overcrowded hospitals, but in their communities.
We'll start with younger children. We will give free GP-care to every child under five. It will cost less than €50 million. Less than e-voting. And it's worth multiples of that, in the peace of mind it will give to parents.
Primary care teams will link doctors, practice nurses, public health nurses, social workers and outreach clinics, so patients get the best, most comprehensive care possible in the community, keeping them out of hospital.
We will fill the gaps in the mental health service so the government no longer fails its most fragile people. Suicide is at epidemic levels. Mental health problems don't keep office hours. And neither should the psychiatric services. For our young men especially, there's no time to lose. Volunteers with groups like the Samaritans, Stop, Aware, are minding the spirit, nurturing the soul. Your very presence gives sanctuary and solace. With the message - 'It's OK to feel fragile. You count. We care'.
They say our children are the message we send to a time we will not see. And I want to send the best, most loved, most positive message to that time. Family and work patterns have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Parents face a constant struggle to balance family life and work life. For many frazzled families, their quality of life is way behind their level of income.
Our proposals will give Ireland's families a real chance, especially in the first, vital year. I know that every parent watching tonight, doesn't just remember their child's first year. They could relive it frame by frame. A year never-to-be-forgotten, never-to-be-repeated of never-ending firsts. First smile, first tooth, first word, first step. We will, increase, dramatically, the level of paid leave that mothers and fathers can take in that time. We will support all parents, financially, whether they work inside the home or outside. Likewise, we'll give all parents the option of quality care and early-education for their pre-school child, worth up to €3,500 a year. Better for children. Easier for parents.
Where children are cared for outside their home, we want them to grow up safe, loved and minded, in a home-from-home environment. So, we want to promote childminding in the home, the minder's home or the child's home, as a valuable, rewarding profession.
Crime and anti-social behaviour are hitting local communities hard. Wiping out their security, knocking their confidence.
The Irish people want to see more gardaí on the streets. They want parents to take responsibility for their children.
We will introduce tough legislation to make parents more responsible for the actions of their teenagers.
We will give families a hand by giving them safe parks and play areas, places to meet, for sport or drama or where they can sign up to volunteer for the community.
The future of energy in Ireland is a challenge for all of us. A barrel of oil has doubled in the last two years. If we fail to meet our international emissions obligations, we face fines of up to €400 million. It's time Ireland got real. We want to reform VRT so it's lower for cleaner engines. We will insist that modest amounts of bio-fuels be blended with petrol and diesel to reduce emissions and support householders wanting to change from traditional fossil fuels to bio-fuels.
Right now, the Irish people could do with one radical change. A change from rip-off Ireland. For the last two years Fine Gael set the rip-off agenda.
The Government, apparently, have had a Pauline Conversion on the rip-off. I'm not too sure. To me they're more like St Augustine. Lord make me holy. But not just yet.
Regardless, Ireland's needs a strong enforcer who will champion the rights of consumers. Who will name-and-shame. We need a strong Competition Authority to take on cartels and mini-monopolies putting the screws on this country.
Of course, you know something? This Government is the mother of all rip-offs. They've picked every pocket with 36 stealth taxes. Take a look at your electricity bills and your gas bills in the last few weeks, alone.
We want to keep the price of gas and electricity down. Any increase should be strictly in line with inflation. Any minister who wants more, would have to come with a compelling reason why.
Because, isn't it time to stop State companies taking the consumer for a ride. Isn't it time to stop the government using them as silent tax collectors?
Soon, the Irish people will go and choose a new government. The choice is stark. The old guard of Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin - those rip-off republicans. Or those who want to change Ireland for the better: Fine Gael and the Labour Party. And on election day, one tick on the ballot paper will decide this nation's future. Our future will all hang on a single choice.
It's time for Ireland to explore, to dream. To discover what's possible with a new government, with new ideas, for this bright new century: more wealth, unity, prosperity, opportunity. Because Ireland is ready now for the next stage of our journey.
Because now Ireland is ready. Ready for change. And Fine Gael is ready to make it happen."