Green leaders to meet grassroots in rescue attempt

THE Green Party’s senior figures are to travel the country to meet grassroots members in the hope of rescuing the movement after a catastrophic election.

The Greens’ Oireachtas deputies and senators met last night to discuss the fallout from the local and European elections in which the party was almost wiped off the local authority map.

At the meeting, it was decided the parliamentary party will tour the country to meet local organisations.

Separately, it will sit down with the councillors who lost their seats, and the few who managed to survive the electoral bloodbath.

A spokesman for the parliamentary party said it was hoped the meetings will take place within weeks and the outcome will decide what direction the Greens will take as the party hopes to rebuild.

Yesterday, party leader John Gormley welcomed the election of 15 of its members to town and district councils.

However, he said there was no way to gloss over the devastation at city and county council levels.

“There is no dressing up the fact that on Friday people were not kind to the Greens. The outcome is something to which I, and my colleagues in the parliamentary party and in the leadership of the Green Party, will give careful consideration during the consultations that will take place over the weeks ahead,” he said.

The Greens’ position going into re-negotiations of the Programme for Government has been severely weakened by its showing.

A spokesman for the Government said no system had been put in place for the negotiations, nor had a decision been taken on when they would take place.

Fifteen sitting Green Party councillors lost their seats, just two were re-elected and Mark Dearey, in Louth, won a seat for the first time.

At the subsidiary level the party gained one seat with 15 town and borough councillors.

Mr Gormley said: “Now is a time for reflection. We will listen to what our candidates and our members have to say.”