Green Party leader, Roderic O’Gorman, has expressed that the government has always been embroiled in a “constant clash” when it came to implementing more comprehensive strategies to tackling climate change. The Minister for Children stated that while these conflicts were effectively managed with the harmony of the three parties to accomplish resolutions, they remained a persistent issue.
While unveiling Senator Pauline O’Reilly as the Director of Elections for the Green Party for the upcoming general election on Tuesday, O’Gorman speculated that the election is likely to be held on November 29th. Furthermore, he disclosed that his party was not averse towards re-entering the Government in collaboration with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, having excluded no political party from potential alliance.
The Green Party leader shared his intent to release the updated housing targets prior to the upcoming election, with an ambitious goal of constructing 53,000 units annually.
Reflecting on his party’s governmental track record over the past four years, O’Gorman proclaimed the implementation of a forward-thinking climate law and introduction of schemes such as affordable public transport and retrofitting grants to be challenging tasks.
Drawing attention to the fact “conflict has been a constant” within the Government, he highlighted that despite challenges, they were able to deliver the lowest carbon emissions in 30 years by synthesising economic growth and climate control efforts. He further stressed that such focus on environment-friendly policies might not persevere if the Green Party is excluded from Government.
Mr. O’Gorman indicated that his party’s top objectives, if they formed part of a future government, would include the extension of parental leave during a child’s formative year, the establishment of a state-led childcare system, ongoing reduction of carbon emissions, and allocating half of the Apple tax revenue towards public transportation.
Senator O’Reilly added that making advancements, in their partnership with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, necessitated a ‘full-on push’ approach from their end. She noted that a 7% decrease in emissions last year would not have been possible without the Green Party’s active presence in the Government. She emphasised the Green Party’s goal to ensure the achievement of their emission reduction targets, should they get re-elected.
O’Reilly also portrayed the Green Party as instrumental in ensuring implementation of the tax on land hoarding, warning that without their involvement, developers could freely hoard unbuilt land. She was adamant about their party’s role in voicing the values of the electorate. She concluded by directly addressing the electorate, acknowledging the possibility of a Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael comeback, and urging voters to consider if they would prefer those parties to operate independently, or if they desired a party like the Green Party to uphold their beliefs and keep pushing for progress.