Outgoing taoiseach Leo Varadkar has backed his successor to lead Fine Gael to a historic fourth successive term in government.
In a speech to the party ard fheis in Galway, Mr Varadkar said Simon Harris had the energy and experience to bring the Fine Gael project to the “next stage”.
The former Fine Gael leader, who shocked the political establishment by announcing his resignation last month, defended his time in government, pointing to the handling of the Covid pandemic and the avoidance of a hard border on the island of Ireland post-Brexit as key achievements.
He thanked the party faithful for their support in his 13 years in Cabinet.
“When tough decisions had to be made, when criticism was unrelenting, when I was down – you were always there to raise me up, to give me faith and confidence,” he told delegates at the University of Galway.
Mr Varadkar pledged to give back to the party in the years ahead as he urged members to be “proud of the economic and social progress this country has made under our care”.
“Last month, we entered our 14th year in government. Something we have never achieved before,” he said.
“And, under Simon Harris, I believe we can secure a historic fourth term in government after the next general election. Something no party has achieved in a half century.
“Not because we want to make history or break records, but because it is the right thing for our country and our people.
“We need to protect all that has been achieved, build on it and put right the things we have not yet.
“We have led Ireland from unemployment to full employment, from austerity to prosperity, from budget deficit to budget surplus.
“We led through a pandemic in which we saved thousands of lives, businesses, and jobs, and through Brexit when we prevented a hard border between north and south and protected our place at the heart of the European Union.”
Mr Varadkar said Ireland had become a “more equal and more modern place” as he highlighted constitutional amendments on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
He also said Fine Gael had made progress to make childcare and healthcare more affordable.
The Taoiseach also talked up his government’s performance on housing, highlighting that about 35,000 new homes will be built in Ireland this year.
He said that number was 7,000 annually when Fine Gael came to power in 2011.
Mr Varadkar said Fine Gael was turning a “new chapter”.
“For almost seven years, Enda Kenny and Michael Noonan led our party,” he said.
“They did what needed to be done. They fixed our economy, restored our prosperity, our sovereignty, and our self-respect.
“For the next seven years, Simon Coveney and I led this party. We did what needed to be done too. We led the country through Brexit, through the pandemic, through inflation to full employment and greater equality and opportunity.
“Now is the time for the next chapter under Simon Harris, a man who has the energy, empathy, experience, and campaigning skills to bring this party forward and to bring our project to the next stage.
“My only ask is that you give him and his team your loyalty and total support. Up Fine Gael.”
