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EAMON RYAN HAS said the Green Party’s leadership contest will take place online in the next month now that a government has been formed.
Deputy leader Catherine Martin announced that she would challenge Mr Ryan for the leadership last month.
“There will be a contest but we both agreed that we shouldn’t be thinking about it until after the Government is formed. Even in the next month when that contest takes places, both of us have a clear understanding is that our first job is doing our job in government,” he told RTE’s The Week In Politics.
“We have to get into our departments, get to grips with our brief and have our first Cabinet meeting on Monday.”
Mr Ryan said the leadership campaigns will be conducted online so that he and Ms Martin will not have to travel around the country.
“Our party tradition or constitution says that we should have our leadership contest within six months of a general election. I don’t think it is going to be divisive, I think it will help each of us to articulate our view as to where we are going – not just as a party but as a country and within government.”
Mr Ryan also defended the regional and gender balance in the new Cabinet.
Ministerial roles have been split across Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens, with the leaders of the three coalition parties agreeing to the appointments.
The majority of the cabinet are from Dublin and Cork while there is no minister from the west coast of Ireland.
Mr Ryan said: “I don’t think government can ignore any part of the country be it the south, east or west or any part.
“It is difficult to get that regional balance when you have three different parties so you’re not picking for a full cabinet when you’re making your selection.”
“Each of the leaders was cognisant on the need for gender and regional balance, and it may not be perfect.”
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Now that’s how a Democratic Party works. They should show SF how it’s done.
@For Goodness Sake: FG only let 700 members of thier 20 thousands members to vote on the PFG so FG might have a look as well
@For Goodness Sake: you seem obsessed with the shinners.
@tirnanog1979: FG should learn from the Green party
@For Goodness Sake: Wasn’t Coveney the democrtic choice for leader of Fine Gael?
@For Goodness Sake: maybe FG will learn from the Green party on how it done .
@For Goodness Sake: they’re living rent free in your brain. Misfortune.
@For Goodness Sake: Sinn Féin living rent free in your head mate.
@Johnny 5: says the lad bawling into his cornflakes for last 2 weeks about Leo and Martin. You’re funny.
@For Goodness Sake: doesn’t matter which sell out leader leads the greens and your comment should be at fine geal who leader leo who was elected by 33% of party those being the heigarchy of the party the other 77% of party dont mater not much democracy going on there
@For Goodness Sake: And if Ryan looses will he do the democratic thing and resign from his role as minister ?
@Brian Madden: You seem obsessed with respond to my post!
@Johnny 5: Are yourself and James Reardon operating from the same SF office?
@Nosmo King: he’s appointed by Taoiseach…why would he resign?
@For Goodness Sake: Imagine the shinners living rent free in your keyboard bashing and chicken choking sad life……..
@Brian Madden: oh for goodness sake didn’t the sinners as you call them, come in 1st with most votes. I’m not a big fan of them but I respect the majority vote.
FF came 2nd.. So in reality.. Sinn fein should be the biggest party in with FF. But the democrat vote means nothing and all the ppl who voted for change their vote meant nothing. Fg/FF ignored that fact and just shunned the sinners to stay in power. Ireland is beyond corrupt. It stinks of Liberal depravity. With another gay Minister for Children. Its a cess pool. No God No morals.
These 3 schister parties will be only looking after themselves and their friends, the rest of us should oppose them at every opportunity they try to inflict their austerity on us.
@Derek Poutch: We had that chance back in February and blew it ……yet again.
@Derek Poutch:
The three parties constitute a majority.
SF voters account for less than a quarter of the population.
I know it’s the most entitled quarter ever, but you really need to get over this.
In four years time you get to try to form a majority again.
@Brinster: i doubt very much this arrangenent will last 4 years.
@Brinster: SF/FF/Greens or SF/FF/SD//Greens would have had a much higher majority and a better representative of the change votes voted for!
@Brinster: Unfortunatly they will, stupid of FF and FG excluding them.
@Brinster: that’s not true. The Greens are Over represented by vote.
It was and still is time for change,we will live to regret these charletans being given the sniff of power.
@Paul Mc: I can’t believe MM is Taoiseach :(
@Paul Mc: yes giving SF a sniff will only embolden them. Thank god they lost.
@Canyon: only joined Twitter in 2020 I smell another fg bot
@Marty Lawless: So everyone who questions the Shinners is an FG bot? A little paranoid!
Welcome to the gravy train. Greens ‘we’ll have salad with that also’.
Deckchairs…..Titanic
@Beyond Belief: another fg troll bot
This government is a farce, Ireland need to wake up
@Louise gallagher:
Less than 24 hours old, your early pessimism with this new Govt is a tad harsh.
Cut some slack here, please! A reasonable bedding-in period should be granted before political opposition begins in earnest.
Forecast opposition sniping levels according to today’s newspapers over the coming five years could be at higher end on the snipeometer.
@Rory J Leonard: The problem is we wont have an effective opposition. Just the Shinners moaning. Imaging complaining BEFORE the new government starts to operate. As least Labour are attempting to have some level of positivity.
@For Goodness Sake: The irony of Labour keeping an eye on SF in Opposition in case they are costing up to FF/FG when they have been in Government Coalitions SEVEN times,6times with FG&once with FF!!
Also Labour said before GE, they’d be interested in a progressive left (centre left)led Government but ruled themselves out after GE!
SF will be brilliant in Opposition and honour it’s function to hold the Government to account while offering solutions to the ongoing National emergencies in health including Covid 19, homelessness/housing, education, unemployment,etc through motions,Bills,etc.
Its NOT moaning to highlight these serious issues and it’s NOT moaning to fulfill its democratic duty to hold Government to account in the Dail so much for you preaching about Democracy!
@Nuala Mc Namara: cosying
@Nuala Mc Namara: You must be joking! They were ineffective and will continue with the moaning. When you hear Mary Lou its the same auld tripe. She has no positive contribution to make on any topic!
@For Goodness Sake: Here’s a few solutions SF offered over he past few years:
Pearse Doherty’s Consumer Insurance Contract Bill which became law at end of 2019, Paschal Donohue was supposed to sign the legislation but didn’t.
SF’s Rent Freeze (Fair Rent) Bill 2019 passed in the Dail (3year temporary emergency measure )last December but then FF said it was unconstitutional but Rent Freeze introduced as a Covid-19 emergency measure!
SFs Planning and Development (Ministerial Power Appeal)Bill 2019
SF’s Social Housing (Real Social Housing)Bill 2019
SF’s Latent Defects Redress Bill 2019
SF’s Residential Tenancies (Prevention of Family Homelessness)Bill 2018
SF’s Emergency Homeless Accommodation and Direct Provision Independent Inspection Bill 2018
SF’s Homeless Prevention Bill 2018
SF’s Secure Rents and Tenancies Bill 2016
SF’s Planning and Development (Amendment)(No 2)Bill 2016
SF’s Rent Certainty Bill 2016
SF’s 35th Amendment of the Constitution (Right to a home)Bill 2016
These are just examples of what SF introduced in the Dail,they also were excellent on PAC, Finance,and other Oireachtas Committees.
I can’t believe that on one hand you preach about Democracy and the next you criticize SF for taking their responsibilities as Opposition seriously re holding Government to account, introducing legislation,etc!
They were obviously effective as public representatives in the Dail because they got more votes than any other political parties in the Dail in 2020 General Election!
@Rory J Leonard: hmm early pessimism ? I am not sure you fully grasp how our system of Government works , the role of journalists and media and indeed opposition benches – saying there shouldn’t be early pessimism is like playing against the all blacks and saying ah sure you should let them have a handy 15 minutes before starting to tackle them FFS…..asking the hard questions and holding governments to account with plenty of pessimism is what it is all about….now that we have the two largest parties from the past 100 years sitting together in govt it is actually more important than ever that opposition is sharp and vocal and demanding – Sinn fein have a mandate for to lead that opposition and i hope they do so vociferously from the get go. The ultra conservative reopening of the economy is a good place to start we badly need to jump start jobs and economic activity and knock us out of that lockdown slumber that plenty of people are getting too comfortable with ( mostly those in secure jobs and doing less work who were unaffected ) – it is time for plenty of pessimism and hard questions – the country voted for change and shifting from a FF/FG confidence and supply to FF/FG Green coalition is not quite the change people might have expected so tough opposition is the order of the day.
What really upsets me about the greens is that their green agenda doesn’t give scrite about struggling people with taxation.
@Sean Lynch: but they do care about the polar bears having to swim more often
@Sean Lynch: The Greens are an upper middle class Dublin City party only.
@Quentin Moriarty: We don’t hear much about polar bears anymore because they are doing fine and ice levels are well within historical levels. The ‘ice free within 5 years’ headlines (which I remember even if everyone else has forgotten) didn’t happen. That was just to scare us into accepting carbon taxes…which do nothing whatsoever.
What green party they are finished!
@Chris OB: not before a raft of swingeing taxes are in place
Theirs the price of Diesel ann Petrol gonna go through the roof….
@Derek Moean: Because of a minority Dublin City Green Party.
The greens are only there to fill seats sooner they realized that the better ,they’ll have no impact on policies or legislation. Ryan has been duped by FF/FG.
@Eddie Michael: they knew and it did’nt bother them really. It is politics after all.
Considering Catherine Martin now has a dozen departments to look after I’m not sure she’s even going to have enough time to run a strong enough campaign
Why was the yes/no for government not done online?
Fuel smugglers whether oil or coal are big winners with this government. Which suits SF given their members nocturnal activities in fund raising for that party.
Don’t matter what happens know we’re all fu##ed.
@Fran O’Keeffe: The credit card was maxed out before the crisis from 30 years of FFG toxic corruption….now when we need to borrow there is no room, people you caused all this by voting for what you knew as corrupt parties….now you will pay the bill for it in the coming years, pray we can still borrow money because if we cannot it will be Greek style pain you can not if imagine.
@Peter Hughes: Would you ever do some research before you post on here!!! Because of 9 years of prudent fiscal management we have a bond yield of 0.2 % Ireland can borrow cheaper on the markets than other EU counties will borrow money from the ECB on a bailout
Its no wonder the greens love public transport so much, last time in power FF threw them under a bus, this time FFG will again fire them under a bus for every new tax and austerity measure and unpopular decision that will be made
I’m delighted the Greens are in government. Hopefully they will get to implement some of their policies that will benefit the environment that in turn will benefit the next generation.
Welk done Eamon Ryan. Now sort out 1) zero residual values for ev’s (elec. cars), batteries after 8 years gone, 10k 2replace 2) build gas fired power stations f electricity 2charge 3) put charging stations everywhere. 4) build an lng gasification plant in Limerick (for power generation plants, and home heating).
have your say