Get the Greens out!

by Margaret Tue Oct 28, 2008 21:49

I agree.

Hopefully there are still a few principled Greens left in the Party apart from Patricia McKenna and Bronwen Maher.

Bring back Roger Garland - but would he fit in todays Green Party?

Gormley is gone in Dublin SE next time - lots of 'wealthy' pensioners with decent occupational pensions who do not want to exercise their right to plead to be a special case as they are a bit over the new limits which incidentally are gross and this government doesn't seem to realise that pensions are subject to income tax!

by Sceptic Thu Oct 30, 2008 14:21

There is an incorrect underlying assumption in this thread that Greens must be left wing and have no concern for fiscal discipline. In fact a concern for ecology and sustainable development is not a left wing or anarchist cause - it can and is taken in people from all points of the political spectrum. Thus the inevitable cleavage between the dark green fringe and the more moderate centre when greens get into power. It has happened elsewhere too. One can argue about cuts and the like but there is no loss of principle in itself in the Irish Green party supporting such measures. This is just a delusion on the part of some leftist critics.

by yeah but Thu Oct 30, 2008 15:06

If the Irish Green Party claims lineage from the German Green Party of the '70's (not what it has morphed into now) there is a case that they are "left wing" (whatever that means beside the seating arrangements of the first French parliament).

by Plato Thu Oct 30, 2008 17:00

There is little doubt that the Greens are in a difficult position however they are prepared to allow policies that they have problems with on the understanding that Green policies will be to the fore in those Ministeries that they control. For example, Minister Ryan has already indicated that he intends to bring proper regulation to the 'subscription service' mobile phone rip off. Given the very wealthy and powerfu lindividuals who are profiting from these scams, this is a very brave thing to do and needs to be recognised as such. It also indicates that the Greens will bring fair and equitable policies forward whenever and wherever they can and are prepared to take on the vested interests to protect the little guy (in the phone case, literally so, as the majority of victims are children)

by Ex-Green Voter Fri Oct 31, 2008 01:45

After a year and a half in government I can see little or no evidence of any signficant change in how the country is being run despite the presence of the GP in government. While the PD's exerted great influence over their much larger coalition partners in Berties governemnt and more or less succeeded in turning Ireland into a thatcherite state, Gormely et al have so far failed miserably to changed the environmentally and socially destructive mindset of FF. The obvious example of this are the ongoing scandals of the M3 and Shells brutalisation of the people and ecology of North Mayo. But it goes much farther than this, the failure to reform the much discredited EPA(a clearout of its IBEC domninated board would be a start), failure in now two succesive budgets to get to grips with climate change as our greenhouse gas emmisions continue to ballon out of control and failure in tackling the huge problems with our planning system to name but 3.
Finally I'm amazed most commentators have failed to spot the most obvious example of GP political cowardice in recent weeks concerning their acquesiance in the massive sub-prime bailout of builders in the recent budget. Amazingly the governemnt while pleading the poor mouth over education and health, still manged to hand over 1.6 billion to Tom Parlon and co. while Gormley the very next day tried to make much of the pathetic 20 million euros set-aside to make the massive stock of poorly insulated houses more energy efficient. That for me was the final straw!!

by Zeleni Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:12

Get the Greens out and then what?
Make enda kenny taoiseach of a hotchpotch government?
The shameless opportunism of FG over the last fortnight has revealed it for what it is.
Are Brian Hayes, Leo Varadkar and Inda Kenny better placed to guide Ireland through this mess in Ireland that FF has created. I very much doubt it.

I am a Green voter who wanted a rainbow government. I opposed the Greens going into government with FF.
I have always loathed FF and what it represents. Now I loathe FG sheisters too.
The Greens are in government and they are slowly chipping away at their agenda, while moderating the incompetence of FF.
There is no way they should pull out now because the alternative is shocking.

by shawney Tue Nov 04, 2008 17:56

the greens have shown themselves to be no different than other politicians. they lie and break promises. for example for many years have spoke out strongly against water flouridation in this country ( the rest of europe rejects it on health grounds) and said that they would end this once in government. the reality is that since being in government they have done absolutely nothing to address this issue.

by andrew dillon - the green party Thu Jan 29, 2009 21:27 ajcdillon at eircom dot net

why are you not prepared tosay who you are?
surely even an allegeed disgruntled green party member should be prepared to admit who they are. for all i know you could be a mmember of sinn fein or some loonet group associated with patricia mckenna .
identify yourself and then we can have proper discussion.
yours etc. andrew dillon

by Sean - Bray Emmets GAA Fri Jan 30, 2009 00:31

We can say what we want about the Greens but I must say I honour Senator de Burca. As a former Wicklow resident I saw ow much this individual fought bad planning and corruption in my county. She was a lone voice on Wicklow County Council. De Burca also gave so much hope to so many families in the area throug her work in the suicide support area. I'm not into the Greens anymore and I don't like Gormely but I am a witness of the hope, courage and support that this women gave to the voiceless. I look at Patricai Mckenna who went to the Shelbourne with LIBERTAS! That was enough for me! It is easy to constantly whinge but sometimes we have to be real. I am now a registered voter in the Dublin area and will be voting Green in the Euros for the reasons outlined. I would not vote for Mckenna who seems to be all over RTE lately. I do not watch this station as they have THE SAME PEOPLE on time and time again.