RODERIC O’GORMAN has said that the Greens have learnt that his party are seen as the “bogeyman” in some parts of the country but is confident its track record will allow the group to “hold our seats and to grow our seats” after the next election.
A Red C poll, published in the Business Post yesterday, found that support for the Green Party has fallen since the local elections in June and that the group could be on course to be left out of a future coalition.
Speaking at the party’s think-in in Dublin this morning, the Green leader and Minister for Children said that the group have “learnt” from its performance after the local election.
O’Gorman admitted that the party’s result at the local election were “disappointing” but pointed to how, despite commentators claiming the group were to be “wiped out”, Green candidate topped polls in areas like Dublin and gained seats in Coke, Wicklow and Kilkenny.
“But we’ve also learned from the local election,” O’Gorman said.
“We’ve learned in terms of how in certain parts of the country our political opponents have made us the boogeyman for a whole range of issues.
“And we’ve learned in terms of the importance of clearly communicating what we have achieved and the benefits of what we’ve achieved for individuals and for families,” he added.
The Green leader ultimately believes that his party’s record in the coalition will be what the electorate judge them on, and claimed that the organisation has been the most successful small party in Government, ever.
“We have shown over four years that we have delivered time and time again on the policy items that people voted us in to achieve in 2020. I think that’s something a lot of other parties won’t be able to speak to,” he said.
Asked when that election might be, O’Gorman said that he believes – as others in Government have said – that the current coalition will complete its full term.
He added that, despite reporting over the weekend suggesting otherwise, he has “no doubt” the other coalition leaders, Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin, would include him in a conversation about an earlier election, if it were to happen.
O’Gorman also defended his remarks in The Sunday Times yesterday where he said the Green Party would seek to negotiate a common policy platform with Labour and the Social Democrats after the next election.
“Engaging with other parties that have like minded positions to us, on supporting families, on supporting children, I think gives us the strongest position to get policies implemented,” O’Gorman said.
He declined accusations that he was expressing preferences over the Greens’ current coalition partners, adding that he believes the group have been a “good Government”.
“It has given us stability through the Covid crisis, through the war in Ukraine, through the spike in the cost of living and it has managed this economy [so] that we’re in a position right now in Budget 2025 to be able to invest substantially in additional resources and services for next year and also put money aside into the Climate and Nature Fund and into the Future Ireland Fund for our future needs.”
The Green Party is one of three parties who are holding their think-ins, or autumn conferences, in Dublin today ahead of the return to the Dáil on Wednesday.
Sinn Féin are holding their conference ahead of the next term in Leinster House at the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin while Fianna Fáil host their think-in in Dalkey.
Asked about O’Gorman’s comments to the newspaper in Dublin this morning, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he sees the Greens attempting to carve out a niche for themselves.
Martin said he and the Taoiseach have been “very clear” that they believe the current Government will complete its term but later added that the by-elections, to replace new MEPs, won’t be held and that February is the “ideal date” for an election.
Budget items and the looming general election are at the top of agendas for most of these conferences, as the Government is just two weeks out from revealing what is expected to be a range of ‘give away’ measures on 1 October.
Last night, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and fellow Fianna Fáil TDs hit the ground running with canvassing when pulling pints at the Club Bar and Restaurant in Dalkey.
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