Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
THE GREEN PARTY has confirmed it will enter talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with a view to forming a coalition government.
The party – which won 12 seats in February – had held talks among its TDs earlier today on the prospect of forming the next government.
It said in a statement that it is conscious of the huge challenges facing any government during the Covid-19 crisis.
It said: “Green Party approval of any programme for government will require support of 2/3 of the Green Party voting membership.
“Any proposal must be transformative on climate action and commit to strong progress towards a more sustainable and fairer society.
If this is not the case Green Party representatives will withdraw from negotiations and pursue their mandate in opposition and work to hold the government to account.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said his party looks forward to “constructive discussions” between the parties in the coming days.
“Working together we can help to deal with the challenges facing Ireland, including getting people back to work, re-opening businesses, investing in and transforming our health service, housing system, childcare, climate action, balanced regional development and enlivening communities in rural Ireland,” Varadkar said in a statement.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he is “confident” the three parties will be able to agree a programme for government.
“I am confident that working with Fine Gael and the Green Party we will be able to negotiate and agree a programme for government that protects people and ensures that the country’s economic recovery after Covid-19 is commenced as soon as possible and built on fairness,” he said in a statement.
“There is important legislation that needs to be passed to allow Irish businesses to access finance and there needs to be a government in place to do this.”
Advertisement
The party leader said Fianna Fáil will approach these negotiations “constructively and confidently”.
Fine Gael, in particular, has been attempting to court the Greens in recent days with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar saying on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show he was keen on meeting one of the party’s redline targets – a 7% reduction in carbon emissions.
The party currently in power during the Covid-19 crisis has also sought to emphasise that it is urgent a new government is formed, given that emergency legislation aimed at supporting businesses affected by the pandemic needs a new government in place for that to be enacted.
Health Minister Simon Harris told TheJournal.ie: “I do hope we can form a new government in this country. The current government is working as hard as it possibly can, but it’s not a sustainable position for an awful lot longer.
I really hope the Greens do accept the offer to engage with the leader of my party and the leader for Fianna Fáil. I think that would be a place where an awful lot of detail could be worked through.
In a statement this evening, the youth wing of the Green Party said it noted the development with “disappointment”.
It said: “In 2007, the Green Party campaigned to remove Fianna Fáil from office, before making the historic mistake to enter government with them – their ‘deal with the devil’. We now see history repeating itself.”
With Fianna Fáil (37 seats), Fine Gael (35) and the Greens (12) together, they would exceed the 80 seats required for a majority in the Dáil. The Green Party last entered government a decade ago, when in 2007 it formed a coalition with Fianna Fáil.
Sinn Féin – which won 37 seats at the last election – have been ruled out as coalition partners by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on numerous occasions.
Varadkar told The Late Late Show that a new government could be in place by June.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of “working to a plan to exclude Sinn Féin from government and to ignore our mandate for some time”.
“Both of them in government together – no matter who they are propped up by – is not what people voted for and will not deliver the change that people voted for in February’s general election,” Carthy said today, responding to the Green Party’s decision.
With reporting from Christina Finn
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
277 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
“THE GREEN PARTY has effectively ruled out joining Fine Gael and Fianna Fáíl in a coalition for now and instead has called for a national unity Government involving all elected TDs.”
They stand for nothing, absolutely no integrity. Fine Gael on bicycles
@Diarmuid: The greens aren’t even in government yet and they’ve flip flopped. Letting us know in advance how much use they’ll be in office. Same as last time, there to make up the numbers.
@The Risen: All political party’s and politicians do nothing but line their own pockets, and anyone who thinks ‘their illustrious’ party are any different is deluded.
So the man who publicly dissed Fine Gael prior to the General Election was actually in cahoots with them all along??? M. Martin is shameless. Christ on a bike.
@The Risen: 9 of those 12 green TDs were elected in constituencies were SF topped the poll. If they now ignore the majority of those constituents then the MUST BECOME TRANSFER TOXIC in future.
@The Risen: greens have to go into government. Climate crisis can’t wait for another 5 years. They can’t sit on the sidelines moaning like the usual opposition parties. They have to get in and make a difference.
They are not looking to be popular like SF and your left parties who are more concerned about social media likes.
They believe they need to get in and help save the planet.
@The Risen: Doesn’t matter how many likes you get the next election is 5 long years away. Your last roll of the dice pleading for a unity government fell on deaf ears. When the Greens suggested it weeks back your leader blew it out of the water.
Arrogance doesn’t pay.
Have you noticed that FG are up in the polls. Just like the Good Friday Agreement between Unionists and SF, great to see the old enemies put aside civil war politics and put the national interest first.
Put your shoulder behind the new government as all Republican patriots should do now. We can stand side by side in getting the country back on it’s feet.
@Nioe: And you think the taxes on nescessities with no viable alternatives the greens are going to set in our small insignificant country is going to fix climate crisis on a global scale you are seriously deluded . Eamonn Ryan was a patsy the last time he was in govt and he will be a patsy again. No viable policies no substance just all hot air and idealistic waffle
@The Risen: bye bye SF….see you in 5 yrs (maybe)….how was it they win this election but aren’t in govt….ohh thats right, only using the same calculations as sinnenomics could you say they won. Up the…..
@JarryWasNotInTheRA: SF massively increased the number of seats at the detriment of FF and FG as well as Labour who’ve become irrelevant. The fact that both FF and FG can’t even form a majority together is very telling and need to plead with smaller opposition parties to even get the numbers. People are failing to see much difference with FF and FG anyway. SF’s biggest mistake was not fielding enough candidates. Had they done so, they’ve had easily formed a left-wing government. Making the overused reference to the IRA which was bandied out for the whole election obviously did little to dissuade people from voting for SF. They’ll command a strong left-wing opposition for the next five years so no they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon…
@We Love Katamari: are you thick….they sold out before and suffered in subsequent elections. then fools like you voted for them again…….and the cycle repeats.
@@mdmak33:
A perfect example of democracy in Ireland. If you vote for a candidate who gets elected, and they don’t do what you want them to do, then you don’t vote for them at the next election
I gave an SD candidate a preference in my constituency, I would never vote or one again.
@Crispy Brown: No green voter wanted them to bring FG back into government. They campaigned on a platform for the sort of environmental change that FG were refusing to bring in, it’s very difficult to see them as compatible particularly since Coveney described their policies as destructive just days ago and during the campaign John Paul Phelan called them “nutters”.
@Rochelle:
Rubbish!
I know plenty of people who voted for the Greens and they all knew the only way to have their policies implemented was to go into coalition with Fine Gael and/or Fianna Fáil.
Even Sinn Féin voters knew that if they wanted Sinn Féin to get into government, they would have to go into coalition Fine Gael and/or Fianna Fáil.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: Who are these faceless nobody’s that you supposedly know… Green Voters on ballots were mostly transfers from Sinn Fein, so what you say is completely false
Your second point is completely and verifiably false:
The greens got very few transfers from Sinn Féin. The vast majority of Sinn Féin’s transferable preferences went to PBP, Left Independents and the Social Democrats. Fianna Fáil got more transfers from Sinn Féin than the Greens did.
The Green’s demographic and that of Sinn Féin would be at opposite ends of the spectrum
What’s absolutely hilarious about the total meltdown that SF voters are having here today, is that it’s SF who have promised more and higher taxes, not the Greens.
So SF supporters are criticizing the Greens for potentially doing something that SF is actually in favor of.
@Gerard Casserly: Guess who heaped all the other taxes on us the last 100 years….yep FFG but let’s jump up and down about the greens, the hypocrisy is stomach churning.
Just think of all the tax,s that were imposed by right wing F.G. to repay for the F.F./Green government that facilitated the gangsterism of the banks and developers..And you want to blame the left?
@Gerard Casserly: the left parties have never brought in a tax in Ireland. Every tax you pay and will pay in the next 2 year’s ate directly because of FG and FF. You seem to not know this which is unfortunate. Don’t listen to your mate. Do your own research.
@Gerard Casserly: most left parties oppose the introduction of a carbon tax. The greens are not a party of the left, as can be seen by their last stint in office.
@Conan Campbell: the greens will literally have the balance of power, and the ability to shape policy towards left policies, which is what most people on here have been looking for. They will have FF and FG over a barrell for the next 5 years. They can bring the government down at any time. It can only be good news to have a more left leaning and environmentally conscious party in a position of power to balance out FF and FG, who aren’t even that far to the right. This isn’t hard to comprehend.
@Daniel Lehane: perfidious FFG cannot permit Green Party manifesto red lines come into play. So Ryan will be promised lots of non binding airy fairy commissions and working groups etc to tease out how their aims MIGHT be achieved
But Coveney’s da in law etc nor Martin’s Galway tent crew will allow any change to their current practices. FFG know this so they will play their idols ‘Perfidious Albion’ slight of hand.
@M Bowe: that is a real possibility of course. And for that reason the greens must be willing to pull the trigger and withdraw support from the government (if they do go into government) if FF and FG are not playing ball. However nothing ventured nothing gained. The greens have an opportunity to make a difference here, so they are right to take it. If it’s not happening, I would hope they stick to their values, and don’t get caught up with just being in government for the sake of it.
@Daniel Lehane: You must be very young. In the history of this state every small party that propped up a larger one was walked all over and decimated in the following election. Look at the last time Labour were in government. If you think the Greens will walk if their policies aren’t implemented, then you don’t understand Irish politics.
@Daniel Lehane: the greens know perfectly well that FFG have no intentions of implementing anywhere near a 7% cut in emissions. They will scour GP party manifesto, just as they have the SF manifesto, and promise to ‘ find ways’ of delivering these to gain support.
Then it will be ‘ NO CHANGE’ as soon as Lieo and Mehole are rotating supping from the big ladel at the public trough!!!
@Conan Campbell: There is a huge difference in this scenario if it happens. In all previous cases, Either Fine Gael of Fianna Fáil were the dominant party in the coalition. In this case they would both be relatively equal parties in a coalition government. We have never had coalition like this in the history of the state.
@Conan Campbell: are you as old as this state? I can read history as well as anyone, please don’t be condescending. The last time Labour were in government, the IMF were laying down the law. The last time the Greens were in government, they did indeed withdraw support from the FF led government. Some would argue it was too late, but walk they did. They are in a far more powerful position this time around.
@M Bowe: nobody knows that FF and FG have no intention of achieving these targets. There’s only one way of finding out, and the Greens will possibly take that way. If it turns out you are right, and they don’t have any interest in it, then the Greens should walk. At least they’ll have made an effort to change things for the better.
@Declan Crowley:
While I would disagree with some of the policies of the Greens, at least they are a properly constituted political party. Their TDs will be able to make their own decisions and not be told what to do by un-elected officials, based outside of the country.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: “ unelected officials” are you speaking about FF Ard Comhairle which only has 17 elected reps out of 71 members??? Ye know the 71 who MM wants to vote on this FFG coalition, by passing a FF Ard Fheis??????
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: or was He just notifying an advisor as to the Time scale of a public announcement out of curtesy to that advisor???
You know the same types of advisors that Lieo and Mehole pay astronomical amounts of public money to.
@Keith Mac Suibhne: I don’t think FG are corrupt. They make mistakes because they are eager to please and get things done by all means – aggressive, especially with the broadband, but now I am hearing a lot of complain about people not being able to work from home or get their children to join online classes in this Covid-19 world. They are wrong to hand the jewell to a private company, but the policy of getting broadband to every home is turning out to be right. I think.
They fecked up the motor trade in 2008 with their new tax system.given the circumstances this year the trade or public cannot be burdened by further taxes
@rhino burns: if anything I think they helped the motor trade in 2008 as new cars were far cheaper to tax than old ones. They didn’t do much for the environment though as it encouraged the sale of diesels which we now know weren’t as clean as they thought…
@John Costello: There is a finite amount of oil and gas in the world. Modern diesel engines use a fraction of the fuel used by older petrol cars and emit very low co2 emissions cutting greenhouse gas emissions. All good. There should have been an incentive to convert older petrol cars to LPG like i did slashing emissions – a hugely missed opportunity.
Oh great,can’t wait to go car sharing with other people and get taxed to the hilt.maybe I’ll stay at home and grow some window box salads for myself,Eamon Ryan the son of a banker getting into bed with the so called elite.
@tuco: they’re a city party really. haven’t seen any nuclear powered tractors down here in Cork yet and ploughing with a Nissan Leaf didn’t go too well. Plenty of good older petrol cars that were all scrapped could have had LPG conversions slashing emissions but it wasn’t incentivized….should have been lower car tax for cars on LPG….a missed opportunity imho.
@Fionn Darland: How can any sane person describe the prospect of Michael Martin as taoiseach be “good news”? FF are the most corrupt political party in the history of our state, its there for all to read in the various tribunal reports. Furthermore, didn’t Martin state that it was time for FG to go, people wanted change, people were sick of FG’s Jekyll & Hyde behaviour, that FG had failed miserably to deliver on the key issues of Health & Homelessness? If that was his firm stance pre-election what does his flip-flop tell you about him now? Sad day for Ireland.
God helps us now!!! The voting system in this country needs to change. How can a party with so few seats end up in goverment and holding both a government and country to ransome. Not what I voted for. I was told from the first time I was eligible to vote that my vote would always count.. but that’s so not true. I did not give any vote to the Greens nor ever will again. Lets hope another election is called.. but very unlikely.
@Andre: Its called a coalition government, its always more beneficial to the country to have a coalition government. Less chance a single party can ram through legislation without proper scrutiny and amendments been added. More chance of amendments passing too. Look at the massive Tory majority in the UK. They can literally pass whatever legislation they like. Never a good thing.
@Andre: might help your credibility if you could spell correctly, ransom has no e at the end. No single party can form a government, its simple maths that a coalition is required
@Stephen Kearon: or if you were a member of a party which had an iota of integrity you would form a emergency national government based possibility on De Hondt through current pandemic. Then go back to the electorate without the lies that your party won’t form a coalition with FG.
But integrity has never been a trait within FF!!
@NotMyIreland: except in Ireland the only difference between the 2 coalition parties is not based on social/ economic policy, they share that full heartedly, but which side their grandparents took in a war 100 yrs ago and which both parties have sullied the aims of since!!!
@Billy O’Brien: Actually the Shinners will be delighted, Martin is looking at this as short term personal gain, the next government will be fighting a recession, the shinners will win an overall majority , or close to it next election.
@Billy O’Brien: I would say the electorate who voted for change are frothing at the mouth Concidering a three ring circus government is now lightly. The last time F.F. / Greens were in power they brought this country to it’s knees. Now add F.G. to the mix a toxic mixture.
@Donal Desmond: I wish people would stop it with blaming FF/Greens for 2008 recession…in 2007 election, anyone suggesting we needed to put the breaks on our overheating economy were totally ignored by the electorate… the causes of that disaster lay in decisions to ignore the doomsayers in 2004 and onwards… FF/Greens were elected to do as they did, esp FF- to keep the doomsayers silent and lead the credit dance…
12 years later, we ha e persistently ignored, as a country, the climate action doomsayers… the Greens entering Government may be our last chance to actually do as we say we would (in 2015)…
Great news. Glad to see common sense prevail. We need a new stable government.
They would never have been forgiven if they stayed on the sidelines and ignored the national interest. Voters would have annialated them.
Most voters would be sympathetic to the climate change agenda in any event.
Wish all well in he talks.
Ignore the tsunami of bots posting shortly. They are irrevelant.
@Geraldine Glynn: they will never be forgiven for the policies they will have to implement in government while of course they will also get shafted on their green targets.
That’s the end of the greens. Thought Eamonn, had more sense. I guess the trough is too inviting to feed from. Just when they were on the rise again, they shoot themselves in the foot.
@Gerard Cummins: It’s easy to talk theoretically when you’re not in power. That’s why many TD’s like being in opposition. Good salary, zero responsibility. Being in power is about making hard choices, reality bites, budget responsibility, incentivizing work to generate sufficient taxes to keep the show on the road. Talk comes cheap.
You could’nt make this nonsense up. The biggest party in the 26 counties also the biggest party on the island are excluded. This shows the absolute contempt the well healed in FFG hold for the electorate. Plus the total hipocracy of the greens, jesus wept!
@Keith Mac Suibhne: You obviously have no idea how our democracy works. The number of votes a party gets in the UK has no bearing on their votes in Ireland.
Any party in Dáil Éireann with only 37 TDs and has practically zero support from the other 123 TDs has no place in government
@Keith Mac Suibhne: SF had weeks to form their own coalition and did nothing, they even refused to enter into talks with other parties if senior civil servants were present. The people elected 159 TDs (cc automatically returned), a combination of 80+ will have a majority and a legitimate mandate to Govern
@Stephen Kearon: Extremely dishonest. Any workable coalition requires 2 of the main 3 partys. FF stated you would not go in with either FG or SF. However, now you will go in with FG and refuse to talk to SF, effectively excluding the most voted for party from government.
Democracy FF style. Michael Martin throwing your party under the bus for a shot at power.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: “ no support from other parties”. So how come Mary Lou has the majority support for Taoiseach???
Kinda shows your post to be a load of lies as per FFG MO
@The Risen: Kearon is the worst possible liar, self delusional political failure who believes his own delusions!
At least Lieo and Mehole are just straight forward liars with personal agenda of greed and power which can be seen through.
Getting the most first preferences does not make you the “most voted for party”. Our electoral system works on “preferences” not “votes”. A second, third. fourth etc preference is just as valid to elect a candidate as a first preference.
Sinn Féin are the second largest party in the Dáil, not the largest.
For someone who makes so many political posts, you know very little about Irish politics.
@M Bowe: Mary Lou did not have majority support for Taoiseach. If she did she would be Taoiseach.
She got 45 votes, you need at least 80 to have a majority.
Politicians would sell their own Mothers if it kept them in Power. Greens want a 7% annual reduction in carbon emmisions for the next 5 years. Get your bikes out and bring back horses to plough the fields again… A retrograde step dont you think
Funny to look at the people who voted at them freak out. The green party has always been a party that goes into a coalition, and they’ve done it with FF before ….no surprise. Just expect more taxes…its what you asked for
By taking out Lab and Greens in any potential left leaning coalitlthough many on the left deny Lab is a left party and it’s not at all clear that the Greens are either. Subtract these two and you get 54 left leaning TDs.
On the right FFG 72, Regional Group 9, Rural Ind 6, giving a total of 87
On the left SF 37, Lab 6, SocDem 6, Sol\PBP 5, Indep Group 6, Greens 12, giving a total of 72.
@Martello Mulligan: All the smaller parties rode the coattails of SF in the last election. They need SF more than SF needs them. Your comment makes no sense.
@Martello Mulligan: Jesus tonight, SF candidates rode home with first preference votes across the board. They didn’t need any transfers from small parties. The small parties got TD’s elected on SF transfers and excesses. Think before you comment.
@Conan Campbell: Sinn Féin may not have needed their other preferences to get most of their TDs elected. But they needed their TDs to get Mary Lou elected as Taoiseach.
Water charges will be back on the agenda now ,
The Green Party will be the fall guys for all the new taxes which will be introduced to pay for all the Green policy,
Did that not go horribly wrong the last time? How will they avoid the backlash of having to share responsibility for the hateful policies FFFG will no doubt come up with?
Thank god for small miracles, that means 5 years until we face the disastrous chance of being led into the abyss by the Shinners. Mary-Lou can go back into hiding again now, here’s hoping she opts to stay there
And now… the end is near and so they face the final curtain. FG are blantant liars who control the media. FF are a joke as Micheal as all he wants is to be Taoiseach and his party will be canniblised by SF and FG. The Greens are betraying the people. Their votes came from SF candidate’s leftovers. The greens will crash and burn for this.
@Finbarr Ryan: The Green Party lost all it’s seats in the Daíl in 2011 and are now entering government talks with 12 TDs so that threat obviously doesn’t seem to worry them.
Why stand for election and then refuse office?
@KilkennyProud: Varadkar was doing just that when the election results first came out, he was committed to being in opposition, so its a bit hypocritical…
@KilkennyProud: they should refuse as they’ll be eaten alive by FG and FF. They’ll lose what they gained. The transfers that received didn’t come in majority from FG or FF. This current crisis shouldn’t be used to force a governmemt. FG and FF are desperate to stop SF or ant change at all really! Time is ticking. Once they merged, it’s only a matter of time before one eats the other. At least we have a decent opposition but there’s no mandate for anyone. Another election when times are good. The anti democratic actions of FG and FF to not even discus with SF or forming an all party committee is madness. Leo wanted the glory for himself when Dr Hoolahan is the man wearing the big boy pants. Leo’s Trinity professor wrtting his speeches must be well paid.
Anyone but Sinn Fein. Our taxes will have to go up anyways for 2021 but in this crisis Sinn Fein would start making people pay to work and give it all (and more…) over to taxes rather than work to get paid.
To put the greens 7% carbon reduction idea into context they aim to reduce it by 90million tonnes a year by 2030 so that’s 9 million a year reduction. chevron a oil company in America produces 15 million tonnes a year we wouldn’t even cancel out a single country so why on earth should we bother to do it
@cian: Nothing wrong with good measures like solar panels for houses, insulating older homes, wind power generation. Hydrocarbons still needed though in what is a very rural country with low population density.
The country needs a stable Government to recover from the economic shock of this pandemic. And it looks as if a FF+FG+Green+Ind coalition will be it.
I find the SF supporters on here foaming at the mouth rather amusing. They have done nothing but deride, slag off, smear, slander and complain about both of the other two big parties FF and FG. But yet are highly offended when FF or FG won’t play with them. They seem to think that being in Government is theirs by right. But the simple fact is that SF did not run enough candidates to achieve a majority on their own or a coalition with other like minded parties. That is nobody’s fault but SF’s alone. And that is what SF supporters to swallow now matter how bitter a pill they did it to be.
I am not a Green supporter and I would prefer a Government without them, but needs must for the good of the country, I am content to accept a Government with them in it.
@Adam J: Both FF and FG stated before the last election that would not go into Government with SF. As such can stand on the high moral ground and say they have done as they said. They are not on the one hand slagging off SF and on the other complaining SF won’t climb into bed with them. Something that is common amongst SF supporters.
@Mick.: I agree with you on all you say. SF couldn’t wait to get out of the starting stalls to form a government. Talks lasted a few days then fizzled out. Why? All over social media they insult, ridicule, are so nasty towards everybody, they would even fight with their own toe nails. Now they are amazed that no one will go into government with them and continue to belittle those trying to form a government. They have a lot to learn
Thankfully I didn’t vote any Greens! I knew what was coming and let me tell you this, they are just green on the outside and apart from the odd cycling they do and gardening, they are as blue as anything. Watch FFG gobble them up, they know it, but they just want the power grab.
Looks like the Greens have signed themselves up to go the way of labour…that is non-existence in the next election and the one after that and the one after that…
The experienced but incompetent duopoly party continues.
FF gave the bankers’ debt to the next 4 generations.
FG imposes austerity solely on the workers, with their unfairly spread economics.
Greens may tax, but every other tax we have is either from FF or FG.
Upper class neo liberals, nothing more! No conviction in their beliefs what so ever. A copy of the guardian, an expensive coffee and a load of jargon and that’s it. Pedestrian thorough fares in south Dublin is as bout as much as they will shout for.
Green is what they are if they think they will have any say. Only there to make up the numbers. Two party’s that all through the campaign said they wouldn’t talk to each other. Irish politics just doesn’t work. One party should run the country. There are far to many TDs we live in a tiny island just over 4 million people.
Eamon Ryan cannot contain himself.. His ego is about to burst..Good riddance Eamon.. Enjoy your massive pension…You set yourself up nicely while the newbies will be left with the scars of this mess.
Looks like Eamons wolves are being released on rural Ireland , Leo acts as the good shepherd minding the sheep while Mick Martin takes the wool off their back.
After a monumental general election, an unprecedented pandemic, an also unprecedented response from the Irish people to this emergency, this is what we get for our troubles.
Green Party, will you be abstaining from Dail votes when told to?
Will the government remain working through the summer holiday period and forgo their 12 weeks holidays, considering many have been doing very little since the GE on Feb 8th and because we are now looking down the barrel of a severe economic recession?
If the deal you have made is reneged on do you plan to bring down the government, force a GE, all in the national interest OR just leave them to the job of destroying all that is good while you keep your face in the trough?
They obviously haven’t learned any lessons from their last time in government. Let’s hope they obliterate themselves the way Labour too with Alan Kelly ai about to do.
The Greens are politically ‘promiscuous’ — for the last few weeks they’ve essentially been flirting with FFG and playing hard to get, after some courting and sweet talk by FFG, the Greens have now undressed, jumped into bed, once protection is put on FFG will severely penetrate!
The last thing this Country needs now is a green party full of loonies wanting to penalise us for everything that is not climate change compliant. We will end up paying huge energy prices due to taxing of fuel, huge grocery bills due to carbon footprint of our foodstuffs, and will end up with a bunch of Environmental tree huggers.
We will all get window boxes from Eamon Ryan to grow our own food and the greens will tax everything.
Ah no their only entering talks now? What’s all the chat about 7% been about? Was that pre talks?
It’s time to do something now. This limbo has gone on too long.
I wonder how his lettuce is getting on so he can have his salads when this is over. If proof be needed he demonstrates clearly that all politicians are the same. Self serving narcassists.
GP might not have any policy on the development of citizen science or industrial hemp, but the last time in gov they did sign off 1,860 acers of native kelp forest in Bantry bay so we can have sausages
Lads forget the greens look at that party that used to be FF. Down 14 points in an opinion poll and the media haven’t even asked for a comment from the idiot who will be our….. New Taoiseach
These morons have no idea of the needs of the ordinary working people on ground level eg carer’s, ambulance drivers and of course nurses. All of these played a blinder at a very critical time and will be put on the back boiler again and these grandiose idiots will end up toasting themselves for their non achievement’s which has already been proven. I am very keen on environmental matters, but dammed if I would, could vote for these hooray Henry’s!
The quality of comment here makes me despair!!! Political comment is now so partisan and reactive, it leaves no room for consensus politics… a true breeding ground for dictators…
I trust all the farmers are happy to hear that the Green,s want to get into power with FG/FF. This is the same party who wants to eliminate cattle in this country. Their ultimate goal is to get r- d of animal farming in Ireland, but it’s will be ok to purchase produce from other countries. They very much want to achieve Goals that are not even measurable. New money spinner selling Carbon offset credits, more money for the UN pot.
They are offering nothing but carbon taxes on us…..no vision whatsoever…the future is hydrogen and ev but they are too blinkered to grasp the opportunities offered… why not offer tax incentives to landowners to generate green hydrogen and cheap electricity and follow S Korea on hydrogen…
Green policies are great if you live in Dublin connected to all the services with Dublin bus and luas. If you live in the country with no natural gas at the flick of a switch miles from the bus having to provide your own water and believe it or not no central heating you’ll be hammered.
'Open carcass dump' found at large pig farm in the Midlands
Eoghan Dalton
17 mins ago
645
Product Safety
HSE notifies public to stop using four types of vape as EU-wide safety warning issued
1 hr ago
3.3k
Potomac River
Investigators vow to leave 'no stone unturned' in Washington plane crash probe as 28 bodies recovered
1 hr ago
84.4k
166
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 140 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 96 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 125 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 95 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 71 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 70 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 35 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 31 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 117 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 58 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 69 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 76 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 36 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 40 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 23 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 78 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 88 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 65 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 46 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 75 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 55 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say