In his first ardfheis speech following his election, newly elected Fine Gael leader Simon Harris firmly pledged to resolve Ireland’s housing issues. More than 1,000 attendees greeted Mr. Harris enthusiastically at Galway University, where he assured that a refreshing vigour, symbolic of the ardfheis theme, would succeed the departing Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.
Mr. Harris is anticipated to officially take on the position of taoiseach when the Dáil reconvenes after the Easter break on Tuesday. “Next week, I’m up for nomination as the taoiseach,” the politician stated during his televised speech on Saturday evening.
He declared, “Should I be bestowed with this momentous honour, I am aware our time is limited, yet a lot needs to be done. Tonight, I assure you, I will commence my tenure immediately.”
Mr. Harris vowed to upholding the party’s core principles and the nation’s vision. “A fair, caring, and secure society, that’s tolerant, inclusive and externally oriented. I plan to translate this vision into action,” he stated.
His decision to join Fine Gael, Mr. Harris disclosed, was influenced by the party’s key principles of “hope, enterprise, equality of opportunity, integrity, and security,” and he promises to inject fresh vigour into these values as the leader.
Mr. Harris emphasized Fine Gael’s commitment to sustaining a robust economy, stating, “you can’t provide essential services to the people without a solid economic base.” He believes it’s time to transform this economic prosperity into “genuine, tangible benefits for everyone in Ireland.”
Green Party was noticeably absent from Mr. Harris’s address. However, he hinted at a divide when he expressed his commitment to the farming community and rural Ireland, asserting, “Fine Gael will never belittle you on climate action. We will engage and collaborate with you.”
Although the address was light on specific policy proposals, he did guarantee expansion of housing support and rental tax credits. Moreover, he also promised to construct a quarter of a million homes within the coming five years.
In his recent commitments, Mr Harris assured to provide support for small businesses and assistance for farmers, with actions set to be taken based on feedback received in the past six weeks. He further vowed to decrease the Universal Social Charge for those within the lower and middle-income brackets. Fine Gael, belonging to his party, is set to reveal a tax strategy spanning five years later this year.
Acknowledgements on the issues of health care, education, care for the disabled and law enforcement were also noted by Mr Harris. He pledged to establish an action group centred in Dublin city comprising council members, retailers, local community groups, businesses and gardaí. Their goal will be to create a safer and more lively Dublin. A more stringent method of handling asylum and migration related matters was also among his pledges.
Drawing from his past record, Mr Harris’s identity as a potential Taoiseach is discernable. The leader conveyed his strong views on the predicament in Gaza, labelling it as a ‘humanitarian catastrophe’. While he did condemn the assault by Hamas in October, he also expressed the need to not stay mute on Israel’s actions.
In his speech, Mr Harris stressed, “It’s unacceptable to deliberately starve people of their basic necessities, losing touch with humanity. To Prime Minister Netanyahu, the viewpoint of the Irish community is unmistakable. We are disgusted by your actions.” He further emphasised, “I would like to echo that Ireland is ready to acknowledge Palestine’s statehood”, though no further information was offered.