Roderic O’Gorman, the recently appointed leader of the Green Party, is setting his sights on continuity rather than drastic changes. There are no intentions for a rearrangement of Green posts, be it senior or junior level ministers. Eamon Ryan, the previous leader, will stay in command of his two sectors, Transportation and Climate/Environment, while Catherine Martin, the erstwhile deputy leader, will persist as the Minister of Media and Culture.
The trio of Green junior ministers will also maintain their positions, inclusive of the unsuccessful contender, Senator Pippa Hackett, who will retain her “super junior” role at the Cabinet.
O’Gorman is presented with a formidable task: to secure as many Green seats at the next general election and guide the party back into Government in order to further advocate for climate action. The 2020 election was a triumph for the Greens, bagging an all-time high of 12 seats which translated into the most environmentally-oriented government programme in Ireland. The party has been relatively successful in executing this plan, notably turning policy ambitions into law which imposes binding responsibilities on the present and future governments.
However, the pursuit of certain goals has been sluggish leading to doubts about reaching the target of a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
Given the opinion polls and recent local and European election outcomes, the Greens are potentially heading for an electoral debacle typically suffered by minor government parties. In this stage of the political cycle, O’Gorman’s primary mission is to safeguard his seats and attempt to claim more where feasible.
With ministerial oversight for various areas including childcare and refugee housing, it would be reasonable for O’Gorman to focus on achieving the policy aims of this administration in his and other Green ministers’ departments. First and foremost though, his role has shifted to a more political one. Conveying the Green’s message to receptive voters is now his top concern.