Gormley bemoans ‘Golf Gate’ crisis

A FRUSTRATED Green Party have bemoaned the overshadowing of yet another of its pre-Dáil return gatherings by a controversy whipped up by a social outing of Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Before the Dáil resumed last autumn, the party’s think-in in Carlow was dominated by the Taoiseach’s entertaining of his colleagues at a Fianna Fáil meeting in Galway.

And, yesterday, the latest think-in at Malahide was hijacked by revelations Mr Cowen had two previously undisclosed contacts with the chairman of Anglo Irish Bank in 2008.

Mr Gormley said his party had worked on policy issues and, after already falling victim to “Gargle Gate” last year, it was now suffering because of “Golf Gate”.

“The last time we met as group, you will recall, we were talking about what was referred to as Gargle Gate. Now we are talking about Golf Gate and we are concentrating our efforts on that when we, as a policy-driven party, want to talk about policy and we are talking about the minutiae of a golf game,” he said.

Mr Gormley expressed annoyance at the fact its agenda could not be the focus of political discussion. The outburst came after he had issued a statement which criticised the Taoiseach for not previously informing people of his contact with Mr FitzPatrick before the revelation in the Sunday Times.

The Environment Minister said he was preparing for the election and laid out his party’s platform.

Mr Gormley said he hoped the election was fought on the basis of ethics and if it was the party would be competing to retain all its seats.

Its chances were boosted by the fact the electorate was at its most volatile, he said.

However, he accepted these contests would most likely be for the last available seat.

He claimed the Greens had been effective in Government and had introduced planning reform, reduced the number of junior ministers, protected education and stood in the way of cuts to the old age pension.