McKenna 'embarrassed' by former Green Party colleagues

Former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna has said Ireland needs an independent voice in the European Parliament.

Yesterday, Ms McKenna confirmed that she had left the Greens and would be contesting the upcoming European elections in the Dublin constituency.

The former MEP - a harsh critic of the Greens' decision to enter Government with Fianna Fáil - has branded her former colleagues as hypocrites and says she would be embarrassed to run as their candidate.

Speaking in Dublin today, she queried whether the Irish Greens would act independently in Brussels, given their role in the coalition.