Gogarty may quit education role after ‘criticism’

GREEN TD Paul Gogarty is expected to quit as the party’s education spokesman today because of his belief that members criticised his performance in the role.

The saga overshadowed the party’s three-day national convention in Wexford, which concluded yesterday.

It began after members at the conference passed a motion on education funding on Saturday.

The motion called on the Greens to “convene a high-level reference group, including representatives from all sections of the party including a minister, to devise a political strategy aimed at achieving our educational commitments as outlined in the Programme for Government and preventing any further degradation of our education system”.

The motion did not appear contentious, and there was no advance warning indicating it would cause difficulties for Mr Gogarty.

However, when it was passed, he made it known to the party leadership that he saw the motion as a criticism of his performance as education spokesman.

It is believed his colleagues urged Mr Gogarty not to quit the role, but there was confusion as to his exact intentions yesterday when details of the row emerged publicly.

“He may quit as education spokesman,” a party spokesman said, but stressed there was no question of Mr Gogarty resigning the party whip.

Mr Gogarty himself refused to comment, saying he would issue a statement today.

Meanwhile, members defeated a separate motion concerning the Greens’ participation in Government which had been proposed by Mr Gogarty and his colleagues in the Dublin midwest branch of the party. The motion called on the party to hold a special convention next year to consider whether the Greens should pull out of Government.

The Government will be roughly three years into its five-year term at that point, and Mr Gogarty believed it would be a good time to assess whether coalition was serving the party’s objectives. But a majority of members felt otherwise, and rejected the motion.

Speaking afterwards, Green senator Dan Boyle said political parties and individuals in public life “should not get to choose” the circumstances of when they should be in Government, he said.

“Indeed, the best test of the abilities of any political party — that their principles are sound and policies are effective — is at a time of greatest adversity,” he said.

Mr Gogarty, for his part, has repeatedly expressed his wariness of serving in Government with Fianna Fáil.

In a recent interview, Mr Gogarty said the party had “prostituted” itself by getting into bed with Fianna Fáil.