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GREEN PARTY DEPUTY leader Catherine Martin has said that her party will have to keep a close eye on the implementation of policies it fought to be included in the Programme for Government if it enters coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Next week, party members will decide whether or not to back the deal and enter government for the first time in nine years.
In 2011, the Green Party was hit hard at the ballot box as it lost all of its seats following a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Martin told RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Sarah McInerney this morning that the party will respect the decision of party members either way.
“That’s the Green way,” she said, with the Dublin Rathdown TD adding “we will be united”.
Yesterday, the party held an online convention ahead of its membership’s vote on the Programme for Government.
The Green Party requires two-thirds support from its members, a higher amount than the other parties, which means a deal could yet be scuppered as some grassroots members have expressed concerns about going into a coalition with two large centre-right parties.
About 2,600 members of the Green Party registered to watch the online convention that was chaired by the party’s chairperson Councillor Hazel Chu.
The all-day convention ended with leader Eamon Ryan TD making an impassioned plea for members to back the deal.
Speaking today, Martin – who hopes to replace Ryan as leader in an upcoming leadership contest – said it was important for her party to be “at the table” when it comes to key decisions for the country going forward.
“We’re in the midst of an unprecedented challenge for our country,” she said. “The country needs stability, a stable government and certainty.
We’ve negotiated hard for the last five weeks. I’m acutely conscious of where we are. I decided to highlight to the members [in yesterday's meeting] there have been wins and losses in this deal. I believe that it is within government that we have the greatest potential to make change, and that is change our country urgently needs.
She said that it would be vital that the party continues to “fight hard” once in government to make sure that the policies they ensured were included in the Programme for Government are acted upon.
Senior figures in the party, including finance spokesperson Neasa Hourigan and Martin’s husband and Dublin South-West TD Francis Duffy, have spoken out against the deal.
“I see her concerns, I hear her,” Martin said today of Hourigan’s comments. She added that that the Greens could achieve the change required in areas such as housing and homelessness by being “on the inside” and being in government.
On being in support of the deal while her husband was against, she said that it’s “part of a healthy debate” in her home which is reflected in the wider party at the moment.
She also joked she saw a tweet saying that they must be going home on separate bicycles this evening.
Martin acknowledged it would be a risk to the party to go into government but it comes at a time when the country is facing a greater risk of not having “certainty” and “stability” with a new government in place for the challenges ahead.
She would not be drawn on any potential role for her in the next Cabinet or on the upcoming leadership battle with Eamon Ryan, but emphasised her belief that going into government now was the right decision for the Green Party.
“If we go into government, we go in to make real and substantial change,” she said.
The result of each party’s membership’s vote on whether to go into government is expected next Friday.
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Leo is concerned someone might leak confidential information….
@Leonard O’mahony: no sure he can do that all himself.
@Leonard O’mahony: Nah, he just doesn’t want any more photos of him being caught kissing someone other than his partner ;)
@Leonard O’mahony: You mean Leo is concerned someone will get to leak confidential information before he does it.
Eamon Ryan, are you listening? It’s only the phone you put on “sleep”.
Security reasons? Russian intelligence, Chinese Intelligence, U.S. intelligence? .The plot thickens. Of course the fact Varadkar leaked confidential government documents or the fact a junior FG minister set up a sting to catch a senior FG minister who leaked information may also be a consideration in this move. Keep the circus going lads .
@Donal Desmond: certainly not British intelligence as it doesn’t exist
@Tony Doyle: Good point..
This is a very basic cyber security precaution that should have been implemented 15 years ago. Most cyber security aware military installations around the world have been doing this for ages in high level offices/meeting rooms. The cabinet of the Government of Ireland should be no different. Might cut down on a few leaks.
@Niall Mchugh: Apparently Enda Kenny brought in a few years ago but it wasn’t followed through
Sell your shares in Candy Crush
Oh the irony!!
Is leaky afraid someone might leak something before he gets a chance to leak.????
We’ve known about hacking software such as the Israeli developed Pegasus for a quite a while now. This decision is well justified and not before time.
From today?
Surely this ban shoukd always have been there?
I have never been in a meeting, where the use of a mobile phone was accetable.
have your say