Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will set out his priorities for when he takes over as Taoiseach again next month at a Fine Gael party conference this weekend.
More than 2,000 registered Fine Gael party faithful delegates have been making their way to Athlone since Friday night for the party’s first in-person Ard Fheis in three years.
The party members will hold their conference in the Technological University of Shannon with party leader and Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, due to give the keynote address to close the event on Saturday evening.
This will be broadcast live on RTE One at 6.30pm and across Fine Gael’s own social media channels.
Mr Varadkar opened the Ard Fheis on Friday evening, where he outlined his party’s policy priorities for the year ahead.
Fine Gael will be in the Government driving seat again in just four weeks’ time when Mr Varadkar once again assumes the office of Taoiseach when he takes over from Micheál Martin as part of the rotating Taoiseach Coalition deal.
He is likely to deal in some detail with what he wants to achieve in his second term as Taoiseach in tonight’s keynote speech.
Before that, this weekend the party will focus on issues including housing, climate, energy, EU and the world, the cost of living, enterprise and business and ‘building stronger, safer communities’ in the motions they will debate among themselves.
A senior source in Fine Gael told the Mirror on Friday that “the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Athlone is focusing on Leadership, Stability and Vision at a time of great uncertainty.
“We know the cost of living is rising and it is more expensive to do the weekly shop, fuel your car, pay your bills, and make ends meet.
“This is a time of upheaval across the world.
“We know that people are worried about the future and about their own circumstances.
“At times like this, Fine Gael has always provided the leadership, stability and vision that Ireland needs.
“We led the country out of recession and back to full employment, we negotiated a way through Brexit, and we provided leadership during Covid.
“We want to use our experience and energy to help people through this difficult time.
“We have a plan and Budget 2023 was the first step.
“We are putting more money in your pocket by cutting tax, increasing pension payments, and raising welfare payments for families, people with disabilities and carers.
“We are protecting the squeezed middle by driving down the cost of childcare, public transport, school and college bills, or helping you to save up for your home.
“We are taking further action on housing to ensure that people in their twenties and thirties have the chance to own their own home.
“We are delivering for rural Ireland and farmers, and building stronger, safer communities across Ireland, with more Gardaí and a stronger Defence Forces.”
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