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THE GREEN PARTY has lost its High Court challenge that sought to be included in tonight’s RTÉ leaders’ debate.
The Claire Byrne-hosted debate will take place tonight in the University of Limerick, with seven party leaders involved.
The Green Party were not invited after RTÉ decided that only parties with at least three TDs could take part.
The Greens currently have no TDs but went to court to challenge their exclusion, arguing that the criteria used by RTÉ to determine participation was too restrictive.
Today that application was rejected by Judge Marie Baker.
Speaking following today’s decision, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that he is disappointed in the decision but is glad they decided to take the case.
Ryan pointed to a number of aspects to Baker’s judgement which he said justified their decision to take the case. Specifically, where the judge accepted that “there were fundamental and core democratic ideals” at stake in the case.
Ryan said that he was ready to take part in tonight’s debate if his party’s application had been successful.
Green candidate for Dublin West Cllr Roderic O’Gorman also said that it was disappointing to lose the case but that there was a point of principle to stick up for.
We think that they should have used the criteria that [were] used for general coverage which is a broader criteria which looks at results in last elections, numbers of candidates that a party is running and so on. We’re running 40 candidates across the country whereas some of the parties who are represented are running a lot fewer than that.
Tonight’s debate on RTÉ One will take place from 9.35pm.
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Leaders ‘debate’??? Never seen one yet…
Which is one of the reasons I won’t be watching it, or any other so-called debate on TV. The illusion of democracy is what is being presented.
Monster raving loony party gets thumbs down from Judge.
Times like these having no tv makes even more sense. RTE wouldn’t know what a leader is. It only knows sheep
I guess Eamon Ryan is ‘green’ with envy.
Mwhahahahaaaaaaaa
Also, the Green Party are even more amnesiac that ff, I didn’t think that was possible.
Also!, according to the last opinion poll, greens are on 2% of popular vote (renua on 1%), yet the social Democrats are on 4% and they get barely any media attention.
Come on the Right to Change troops….
At last a judge with common sense, so pleased these bicycle clip loonies wont pollute the screen. Maybe they will realise one day that the country does not stop at the edge of Dublin!
Don’t know why they bothered, it’s not like anyone will get to make a point anyway.
i hated greens as a child, no change there
On yer bike, Eamon – and take your crappy light bulbs with you!
Greens begone. Fine the corporations fouling the environment, not a pensioner trying to stay warm. Disgusting
I’m delighted does he not know when to get lost the people don’t want him and his lot . I just got my gas bill and thanks to the bl , odd greens there is nearly €20 carbon tax not to mention vat . It’s disgraceful these sneaky taxes
The Greens introduced a carbon tax of €10 and lowered VAT to compensate for the carbon tax.
The current government raised VAT and doubled the carbon tax.
If you accept that something needs to be done about climate change, then I can’t think of a fairer way than setting up a carbon tax and then reducing other taxes to compensate. That’s what the Greens did, but Fine Gael and Labour just raised taxes across the board.
Carbon taxes are a feature of most western economies and would have been brought in by any government, green or not.
Ah yes, the old carbon tax scam.
The fact Claire Byrne is presenting it, means it won’t be worth watching. She’s no substitute for a proper broadcast journalist. Absolutely useless presenter in all and every respect. This is what happens when you hire on the basis of genitalia
Her handling of the LGBT debate was a public embarrassment.
Agreed, Luke – but she’s an RTE Blonde who wears VERY high heeled shoes, so she must be great……mustn’t she?
You don’t have any agenda so Luke.
She just can;t handle pressure, has no killer instinct, and cannot think on her feet.
She handed the No side in the LGBT debate a victory as she didn’t know her brief. She didn;t even conduct basic background research and had no idea of the issues. The commenters on here were far better informed than she on it. It was unforgivable.
@Louis.
Do you have the hots for her or something? Is there something about my comment you dislike or would like to debate or are you one of these little swipers?
What exactly in my comment got on your nerves, lad?
Not really. It was more the ‘on the basis of genitalia’ comment. Sounds like you might have some kind of an obsession.
Rashers just one question do you like brown or red sauce on your Rasher sandwhich ?
No, I don’t. She was hired because sh’e s woman and for no other reason. I heard her many times on Newstalk and she was useless. Think you may be a little too sensitive,
Gimme Roisin Shortall, or Catherine Murphy in my constituency and I’d vote for them in a heartbeat even though I don’t agree with them on abortion. I’d still vote for them without question. Even Clare Daly would get my vote.
You should see the line-up of amateurs I have to pick from in Cork south central.
@ Luke. They couldn’t be as bad as Cork South West. Seriously. Its a barren wasteland.
I always vote Independent and this time, I don’t even have a choice of independents to pick from. It really is bad in Cork generally if you’re having the same issue.
The issue here is the demolishing of public services, lack of jobs and absence of credit. None of them will make any difference. I’ll vote independent but looks like FG will take 2 spots and things will only get worse. Everytime I can’t wait until they come to my door so that we can discuss the ‘recovery’
Brown.
Haha
Here in Wicklow we are very lucky to have Steven Donnelly to vote for dont know who after that.
The green party are history,just like labour are going to be in a couple of weeks. Good riddance.
Thank God for that listening to those pretentious muppets is like listening to my cat drop trout in his litter tray
Greens supported FF when it was clear to everyone that the electorate had withdrawn their consent to be governed by them. It is still the most fundamentally undemocratic thing a political party has done in the history of the state. I hope people remember that.
I aggree. It’s the greens that introduced the carbon tax which increases the price of coal and heating oil every June. 40kg of coal costing E16.00 has 4 euro carbon tax on it. The price of coal has dropped this year but not in good ole Ireland. E11.00 up north for what costs E16.00 in cavan or E18.00 in Dublin
Don’t understand why I can’t be in the debate myself…
It’s depressing seeing that line up. Visualising how dire our options really are.
Second rate, each and every one of them. Not an original thought between them in their lives.
I’m green in the face from these betraying b@$+@rds
Standing positions were picked out of a hat!!!! Looking at that picture I highly doubt that
Ye I was just thinking the same thing! Like everything else in good old Ireland it is contrived and rigged
I don’t have any seats in the Dáil or Seanad either. Can I be on the debate too?
I’m founding member a new party, tomorrow, called Mé Féin. Can I be on the telly too, as I’d pull more votes than that muppet.
I’m with you, John – what’s in it for meeeeeee??
Thanks be to Allah the courts found in favour of common sense rather than the greens hissy fit. No seats no debate. Don’t want to listen to that know it all ryan spouting crap telling us all what he wants us to do. Bye bye Green Party lets see you recover from the next bashing on Friday week.
I know people who were dependent on the xmas bonus a few years ago and the greens and fiannna fail abolished it and I’ve never forgiven them for that and never will, my pal was a worker for 40yeaes and paid a lot of tax and that extra cash was for Xmas present for his kids and grand kids and it broke his heart to give paltry presents..
There were very few actually working who received bonuses so why should a jobseeker? It’s not like his taxes weren’t spent elsewhere…
Cutting the Xmas bonus meant many kids wouldn;t have got so much as a present.
If some scroungers inadvertently get it, then there’s not much you can do about that. No system is flawless.
Eamonn Ryan is glad he took his failed challenge to the High Court. Of course he did. It didn’t cost him a red cent.
How much did Ryan and his green party cost the taxpayer with this trip to the high court?????????
Nothing. The greens receive no public funding whatsoever since 2011.
HAHAHAHAAAAAHAAHAAAAAAA.
Damn you, Journal, all those HAAAAAAAs were for Ryan failinjg in his action – NOT at Karl’s awful story about his poor friend.
Cheers Rashers….
I’m afraid that even if the Greens are a pathetic bunch of wasters they are still light years ahead of the IRA/SF gang.
well, the only part about your statement we can be 100% certain of Leo, is that the GP area bunch of wasters. They had their chance and failed miserably. SF otoh, we actually don’t know.
Outside Dublin there is virtually no local public transport so people are forced to use their cars. Thanks to this dribbling idiot they have been screwed rotton with road tax. Road tax on a vehicle in Lisbon…€48…same vehicle in Ireland €701 ! Yeah sure Eamonn we will be killed in the rush to vote for you…….
They’re running almost as many candidates as Renua and the Social Democrats combined. Regardless of your feelings on the Green party they offer a different perspective than anyone else and deserve to be a part of a national debate, the rule regarding sitting TDs is stupid and arbitrary, they were right to take a legal challenge
…they offer a different perspective alright: a mis-informed, self-centred and ultimately un-affordable way of running things. Frankly, that’s a perspective I’m happy to go without……..
From a certain perspective the same accusations could be thrown at any of the other parties who will be present. Like them or not the Green party deserve a place at any debate featuring the AAA, SocDems or Renua
I think of the fair and equitable green policies eamonn was so good to bring in every time I pay a utility bill. Buy a bag of coal or tax my 05 car. Never again.
Shame, they could win more seats than labour.
Delighted…never let the greens back in…fuel tax introduced when we were in the storm of a depression..and changes to the motor tax that penalised people who couldnt afford to change their cars..
The Greens.. hah….remember they tried their hand at politics there for a while….
let it go eamonn your totally irrelevant.
Nothing but wangkers the lot of them. Carbon Tax me hole! FF must stimm be laughing at how easy it was to lead them around by the nose.
What will dog Michael Ryan is not the failure of d greens winning any votes in last election nor how they performed when in government but that picture of him doing a Michael Jackson with his child hanging over d balcony and been on holiday during d big freeze when he shoulda been in Ireland people have long memories
Great news waste of air time
At last a bit of justice from our judiciary. Wasn’t Eamon Ryan a minister in the Rainbow Coalition that destroyed the country? Of course he and the Green Party were easily bought off by Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats with promises of a cycle path here or a windmill there. Mind you if Sinn Féin participates in a coalition they will be as easily bought off too with a promise to: naming a few streets after hunger strikers and, putting more emphasis on the use of the Irish language and of course a referendum on a United Ireland?
Who now pays for this? Does the taxpayer yet again pick up the tab for massaging the bruised ego of another politician? And what other important real work was put back in order to deal with this ‘case’. I do hope it wasn’t a family with a disabled child waiting for judgement or settlement regarding the care of their child.
I see Eamonn Ryan tweeted asking when we could go fossil free? We have started the process Eamonn by removing your fossil party from the debate tonight, you are not wanted.
Go away Ryan you useless windbag. You played your part in ruining thousands of lives. Have the good grace to stay out of public life. You have nothing to offer….
When will they realise the Fecked……
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