Greens buoyed by poll high ahead of conference

The Greens face into their biggest-ever national conference this weekend while enjoying their highest rating in opinion polls.

Hundreds of delegates will gather on the shores of Galway Bay to debate policy issues as the general election campaign intensifies.

Guest speakers include Ibec director of policy Danny McCoy, Kingspan Century Homes chief Gerry McCaughey and former Green government minister in Germany, Renate Kunast.

Personal finance guru Eddie Hobbs will speak on the rising consumer costs of global oil prices.

The film on global warming fronted by former US vice president Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, will be screened on Friday afternoon.

Greens leader Trevor Sargent will deliver his televised leader’s address on Saturday evening.

A tns mrbi poll on February 2 showed the Greens had doubled their support to eight per cent.

The two likely post-election coalitions, led by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, see the Greens as a viable junior partner in government.

Greens currently share government in Italy and the Czech Republic and have also been in power in Germany and Scandinavian countries in the past.

The Galway West location for the three-day conference is expected to boost the general election hopes of local candidate, Mayor of Galway, Cllr Niall O Brolchain.