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GREEN PARTY LEADER Eamon Ryan claimed that his party is the “most effective” junior coalition partner in the history of the state in Waterford today.
The Minister for the Environment told his colleagues on the first day of the party’s think-in event that the Greens have “learnt from the past” and are determined to play a “decisive role” in the current coalition.
The party met in the Majestic Hotel in Tramore, Co Waterford today for its annual think-in conference. Eamon Ryan told reporters later that the Green’s junior role in the coalition is “the front wheel” rather than the “mudguard”.
“We’re leading in terms of this change that needs to be delivered. We look back on our Programme for Government, we look back on our manifesto and we see the whole series of developments in our country that we promised and now we’re delivering in government,” he said.
When asked if he thinks his coalition partners were out of touch with the cost-of-living pressures on working families, Ryan said his party was “not disconnected” and he sought to take credit for the energy credits introduced last year.
The energy credit, totalling €600, was announced in last year’s budget for households which was to be delivered in three instalments across November, January and March.
Ryan said his party “laid out this idea of the energy credits” and had proposed it to government ahead of the budget.
He added that he thinks the credits “helped people through a very difficult time”.
The Dublin Bay South TD said, in his opening address to the think-in, that “in the last week alone” the public have seen “several positive examples of the Green Party’s work in Government”.
The minster accredited the work of his party to the proposed speed limit and Dublin City traffic reviews and the announcement of new services to the national train network.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme this morning, the minister welcomed further reductions in energy prices, after FloGas announced a 30% cut to their prices this morning.
Ryan said the reduction was “welcome” and “timely as we go back into the winter”. He said he thinks more companies will announce further reductions.
Ryan told Morning Ireland that the budget plans to extend scheme to fund homeowners’ move to solar and renewable energy in their home, which he hopes the public will avail of to further reduce their energy cost.
The minister later called on energy companies to further reduce prices, when speaking to reporters at the event.
The Journal reported today that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar indicated a planned increase to excise duties, which would hike up fuel costs, in October could be postponed.
Rates were due to be fully restored on 31 October with a final increase of 8 cent for petrol, 6 cent for diesel, and 3 cent for market gas oil. Prices at the pumps have been on the rise again, with prices close to the €1.80 mark today.
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath had hinted at the potential for a postponement previously, suggesting that the government would be keeping a close eye on the issue ahead of the budget.
Ryan, who remains firm on his stance not to discuss potential budgetary measures ahead of talks between cabinet, said the governments must strike a “balance” when it comes to the decisions.
“You have to make sure that, first and foremost, it’s socially progressive, that it protects our people, and we have been able to do that in the last three budgets,” he said.
When questioned by Morning Ireland about the decision to postpone the excise duty increases Ryan said that cabinet are going to “wait and see and get the overall balance right in the budget”.
Included reporting from Press Association and Christina Finn.
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They just don’t taste the same since they took the horse out.
People buying *fewer* frozen burgers is surely an unexpected benefit of this debacle? Just hope they’re buying something fresher and healthier instead!
We’ve always made our own hamburger patties. Even growing up in my Mothers home, she made and still does make everything from scratch, even her pizza bases and pasta..
Last night I mad hamburgers for the family.. So quick and easy and tastes even better as you make it the way you like it. :)
The best burgers are homemade no question about it …think I know what I’m cooking tonight now
How anyone can eat that frozen sh1t is beyond me. Saying they are affordable is just a lazy excuse
Fact. Even you use the cheap 20% fat mince in your homemade burgers, you still end up with a healthier and more traceable burger than anything processed or off the shelf!!
Why people eat processed food in the first place is beyond me
It’s not good for ya folks
I used to use weetabix instead of breadcrumbs for the binder. Fantastic texture to the beef patty.
And do you have your own farm and cows? As otherwise you can’t tell what meat you’re using / what was animal fed etc.? That’s about your burgers from “scratch” I’m afraid.
Quick, cheap, usually decent tasting…?
I still buy them. Even if there was horse meat in them sure a but of horse isn’t gonna kill ya.
I still buy em. That’s *neigh* true! I’ll get my coat…
Blessing in disguise, the controversy increased peoples awareness of what was going into their bodies. The people of this country are better off if they take matters into their own hands and prepared food with the raw materials themselves. Overall their is a shocking lack of knowledge of even how the most simple of meals are made.
Hence part of the reason 100 job loses in Tipperary announced….
I gets my burgers from the local horse ranch..giddy up.
Why would anybody but that frozen meat patty crap, when you can crack an egg into a bit of fresh mince and make ur own burgers in minutes 100 times nicer than that frozen plastic muck!
Horse meat is fine, Iv had it, but I was told what I was about to order! Sure thirty odd years ago a chipper in D12 area (now long gone) used to sell batter burgers made of dog food and was caught. People used to love them….specially after a feed of pints!
will the river of mince ever end?
Never have eaten frozen burgers,will only eat fresh if the origin is known,if not, i just wont eat,and that goes for most meats.
well certainly not my flat mate, they’d eat shite and well turns out they do look the worse for wear.
I always make my own. Any processed meat that comes out of a box cant be good.
What a shame. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It leads to the most stupid and damaging overreactions.
The most silly example of this was the Capuchin shelter in Dublin throwing out all of their burgers (many of which would have been kindly donated by members of the public, and gratefully eaten by visitors to the shelter) which they could have given to the needy and which would have done those who ate them not a fraction of harm at all.
Also, how many jobs will be lost in Irish meat factories because of the largely uninformed (a little knowledge being a dangerous thing), negative overreaction of Irish consumers?
That one in the photo needs to go in the freezer pronto before it thaws.
No regulation was to be expected.
Banana republic.
Sure the simple reason why people by less frozen burgers is the fact that most chains don’t carry them no more or in very limited quantities. Great research that is!
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