This article is from page 16 of the 2007-04-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
FINE Gael leader, Enda Kenny, told his party delegates that the Fianna Fail/PD coalition is a Gov- ernment of waiting. Waiting for hospital beds, waiting for care for people with disability, waiting for justice for victims of crime.
But on his first public appearance at the Ard Fheis in Citywest at the weekend, it was Enda who kept the faithful waiting.
To a tremendous build-up from the podium and a standing ovation from the delegates, the doors of the conference chamber were thrown wide open for Enda to make a grand
entrance. And there he was, gone!
The only form which filled the doorway was that of a startled hotel waiter, who was all but blinded by press photographers’ flash bulbs as they tried to capture what should have been a dramatic moment.
The leader had missed his cue to bound purposefully through the door. Eh…..opps!
To ripples of embarrassed laugh- ter, the doors were closed again and the paparazzi re-focused. It was to be another three minutes before the Fine Gael boss actu- ally arrived to deliver his opening speech on how, in Government, he would put an end to waiting.