Government cannot be trusted, says Sargent

THE Government can no longer be expected to live up to any of its election promises, the leader of the Green Party has claimed.

Speaking at the close of the Green Party strategy weekend in Rosslare, Co Wexford, Trevor Sargent said the party is preparing a strategy to win between 30 and 50 local authority seats next year. Already 120 candidates have been selected for next year’s elections.

Criticising the Government, Mr Sargent said it’s reputation had been forever tarnished. “There is absolutely no end to the brass neck of this Government. Their reputation is tarnished and the word crisis does not seem to be in their vocabulary despite the current situation in our schools and our health service in particular,” he said.

He also accused the Government of failing a large proportion of society.

“In the last year, the Government has wreaked havoc with indiscriminate cuts affecting the most vulnerable people in society. This Government’s failure to take action and tackle growing levels of unemployment, shocking levels of crime, a widening gap between rich and poor and the critical issue of climate change, are all proof that the people elected a dishonest Government,” he said.

Meanwhile, Green Party natural resources spokesperson Eamon Ryan said last Friday’s mudslide in Mayo was evidence that the decision to refuse planning permission for the Corrib gas field had been correct. “It is remarkable that the area directly effected by the landslide this weekend was at the same point where the Corrib gas pipeline was due to come ashore. The key argument all along was that it was madness to build such a sensitive facility on top of a bog that could easily shift,” he said.