Government faces collapse as Greens quit

The Government is tonight on the brink of collapse as the Green Party walked out blaming a complete breakdown in trust, patience and communications in coalition partners Fianna Fáil.

John Gormley, leader of the junior coalition partner, said people have lost confidence in politics after more than a week of unprecedented chaos sparked by a leadership campaign against Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Mr Gormley, who has resigned as environment minister, held crisis talks with TDs and senators after Mr Cowen quit as Fianna Fáil party leader but vowed to remain Taoiseach and lead the country until the March 11 general election.

The Green leader said the Irish people deserved better.

“For a very long time we in the Green Party have stood back in the hope that Fianna Fail could resolve persistent doubts about their party leadership,” said Mr Gormley.

“A definitive resolution of this has not yet been possible. And our patience has reached an end.

“Because of these continuing doubts, the lack of communication and the breakdown in trust, we have decided that we can no longer continue in government.”

The dramatic move was intended to bring certainty to the electorate and over the economy but issues over fast-tracking the finance bill, to give effect to the budget, mean a deadline for an end to the coalition has not been set.

The Greens vowed to support the legislation from the opposition benches and said Fine Gael and Labour had given an undertaking to facilitate the passage of the bill.

“We also hope that the Fianna Fail party will make every effort to fast-track this legislation,” Mr Gormley added.

A dignified Green Party made the announcement in Dublin’s Merrion Hotel, in the same room where Mr Cowen dramatically announced his resignation yesterday. IMF officials also based themselves in the hotel while agreeing Ireland’s multi-billion-euro bailout.

Mr Gormley revealed the national executive – which last November called for a general election to be set this month – finally decided to quit government after a series of frantic meetings and telephone calls and texts from party members.

Talks will begin tomorrow between Department of Finance officials and the opposition to discuss a timetable for the passage of the controversial legislation through parliament.

Sinn Féin maintained it opposes a pact between parties to get the bill through before an election, branding it a “grubby deal”.

Independents Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy Rae will declare their stance on the Finance Bill tomorrow.

But Mr Cowen, who maintained he has no intention of resigning as Taoiseach, said it was unrealistic to deal with the bill within a week.

“The important thing now is to have an orderly completion of the finance bill in the interests of the country and then obviously we move to a dissolution of the Dáil and a general election,” Mr Cowen added.

Labour said it wants the dissolution of the Dáil by Friday and an immediate date set for a general election or it will press ahead with its motion of no confidence in the government – meaning voters could go to the polls as soon as the last week in February.

Both government parties are expected to be wiped out in the election, with a poll today showing support for the Greens at 3% with just 8% voting for Fianna Fáil.

Mr Gormley said it had been a very rare privilege to serve in government.

But the party’s departure gives the Taoiseach the task of filling another two Cabinet seats – Mr Gormley’s environment portfolio and Eamon Ryan in communications.

After six other resignations from Cabinet in the last week, which the Greens stopped Mr Cowen from filling with new faces, many ministers are already double-jobbing.

Mr Cowen took control of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, already in charge of education, took on health, agriculture minister Brendan Smith took on justice, social protection minister Eamon O Cuiv was given the defence brief, and Pat Carey, minister for Gaeltacht, community and rural affairs, took control of transport.

Mary Hanafin, who voted against Mr Cowen remaining leader of the ruling Fianna Fáil party in this week’s leadership challenge, was given the extra duties of attracting jobs and business through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.

Elsewhere, four senior Fianna Fáil politicians have launched their campaigns for leadership of the party.

Former foreign affairs minister Micheál Martin is a frontrunner in the race against finance minister Brian Lenihan, Ms Hanafin and Mr O Cuiv.

Elsewhere Mr Lenihan’s younger brother, junior minister Conor Lenihan, revealed he is also considering putting himself forward as a fifth candidate.

The new leader of Fianna Fáil – only the eighth since the party was founded in 1926 – will be elected by secret ballot on Wednesday.