Cowen 'basically a good guy' - Fahey

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen needs to refine his communications skills but is “basically a good guy”, Galway West TD Frank Fahey said yesterday.

Mr Fahey insisted Mr Cowen was doing a good job and would have the support of the entire Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in tomorrow’s motion of confidence debate.

“I accept that he does need to refine how he communicates and connects with the people but he is basically a good guy. And I think that the Irish public will see that in time,” Mr Fahey said.

Mr Fahey told RTÉ Radio 1's This Weekprogramme Mr Cowen would not be "distracted" by media coverage. "Fianna Fáil don't do change your leader at the whim of the media or on the basis of bad opinion polls.

“We have seen indeed from Fine Gael’s performance in the past where they got rid of several good leaders what they got themselves into,” he said.

“There is unity of purpose behind Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan and the rest of the Cabinet in the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party and we will be having a motion next week in which we will be having full support behind Brian Cowen and the Government.”

Cork North Central TD Noel O'Flynn and Tipperary South TD Mattie McGrath raised questions about the continuation of Mr Cowen's leadership in the aftermath of The Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll showing Mr Cowen with an 18 per cent approval rating. Their comments were played down by Mr McGrath's constituency colleague Minister of State Martin Mansergh yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Fahey was critical of Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, who he claimed “did not have the capacity to confront his own tribe”, by which he meant “the unions and so on”.

Speaking in Dublin on Saturday, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan claimed the Opposition parties had not put forward coherent policies on how they would tackle the economic crisis.

Mr Lenihan repeated comments made by Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday that the coalition was elected over a five-year period and would run its full term.

Mr Lenihan also said the Taoiseach still had the full backing of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party ahead of Tuesday’s Dáil confidence motion.

Elsewhere, Sinn Féin party president Gerry Adams said a Fine Gael/Labour coalition would not deliver the changes Ireland needs.

Speaking at a Sinn Féin ardchomhairle meeting in Dublin on Saturday, Mr Adams said people clearly wanted change but said a Fine Gael/Labour coalition would not address “the deep-rooted inequalities at the heart of Irish society or tackle the vested interests that have caused so much hardship to so many ordinary people.”

Responding to the opinion polls, Labour’s deputy leader Liz McManus said there was now absolutely no basis to exclude Mr Gilmore from any televised leaders debates during the general election.

RTÉ's original offer to parties included a three-way leaders' debate on The Frontlinewith Pat Kenny, on RTÉ TV at the beginning of the campaign, with a debate between the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on Prime Timetowards the end of the campaign.