Kenny made the pledge in his leader's address yesterday at the Fine Gael ard fheis in Citywest, Dublin. In a speech far more low-key than Bertie Ahern's last weekend, Kenny sought to focus the election debate on the record of the outgoing Fianna Fail-PD coalition.

"Last week, another man stood in this hall and made 53 promises. I will give you just one. After years of deception and broken promises, I believe it's about time a politician took responsibility for their actions in government. I am that politician."

The Fine Gael leader made several references to his family in the speech, including to his children and to his late father, Henry, who was also a Fine Gael TD for Mayo.

"He believed that no government can do everything. Because everything is not their job. But what is their job is to do what they say they will do. That was his view of government's duty. And it's mine. Work hard, do their job, keep your promises, " the Fine Gael leader said.

Later today, Kenny will appear on TV3's The Political Partywith his wife Fionnuala in what will be her first television interview with her husband.

The decision to attract more attention to Kenny's family is seen as an attempt to counteract Bertie Ahern's long-established personality-driven approach to campaigning.

The Fine Gael election theme, 'Contract for a Better Ireland', includes pledges that every taxpayer will pay less income tax; giving relief to families where one spouse stays at home to look after a child; and abolishing stamp-duty for all first-time buyers. The party is now set to sign up to Labour's proposal to cut the lower income tax rate to 18%, with further details to be published in a joint economic document later this month.