Ryan warns Healy-Raes 'the Kingdom is going green' in local elections

Eamon Ryan also has said that the electorate is not 'won over by easy false promises', warning Coalition figures against early Budget speculation. Picture: Collins Photos

Eamon Ryan said that he hopes his party will have a councillor in every county after the upcoming local elections.

Speaking at the Green Party conference in Dublin, Mr Ryan warned the Healy-Raes in Co Kerry that the “Kingdom is going green”.

“It’s absolutely possible that I think we will significantly increase our seats on the last election, not certain,” the Green Party leader said.

“I think what we’ll be setting as a key goal is that we get a councillor in every single county.” Mr Ryan said that he believed the Green Party would be able to win seats in “places that people don’t expect”, namechecking Kerry as a target for the party.

“The Healy-Raes, I think I’ve shocking news for them: The Kingdom is going green,” Mr Ryan said.

'False promises'

The Environment Minister also has said that the electorate is not “won over by easy false promises”, warning coalition figures against early budget speculation.

Mr Ryan said that the Government needed to be “careful” about making promises about October’s budget in April.

He said that the only promise that should be made about the budget currently is that it will be “progressive”.

“I think we should do the budget in October and I think we should be careful about promising all sorts of promises in the interim,” Mr Ryan said.

Asked if it was now open season on parties making budget promises ahead of the local and European elections, Mr Ryan said that it was “a tradition” in Irish politics, but “not a great one”.

“I don’t think the electorate are swayed by it, I don’t think the electorate are won over by easy false promises in April for what’s going to happen in October,” Mr Ryan said.

“I think the election on June 7 is about Europe, it’s about the world. People are fearful that they can’t get the cattle out of the sheds because its been raining for ten months, they want an answer to that.

“People are fearful because people in balaclavas are on our streets. They want democracy to hold strong.

“I don’t think the promise of a tax cut or whatever in the Budget in October actually is going to win this election in June 7.” 

Pressed if he was criticising the other coalition members — Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael — Mr Ryan said that he full understood that “people set up their stalls”.

“I get on sufficiently well with my Government colleagues that yes, I can say sometimes I think it is easy to promise. But actually, we should be careful because we do have to deliver in the end.”

Pressed further, Mr Ryan said that he was not referring to anyone in particular about his “easy false promises” remark.