Greens had outsize impact on government, party leader insists

Roderic O’Gorman said the Greens had delivered in government over the last four and a half years, despite being the smallest coalition party

Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman (centre) with parliamentary party members speaking at Leinster House in advance of the upcoming election campaign. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA 

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has set out his party's stall to return to government after the general election, insisting they have had an outsized impact on policy over the last four years.

Launching the Green Party’s election campaign in Leinster House, Mr O’Gorman said his party had delivered in government over the last four and a half years, despite being the smallest party in the coalition.

“We may have been the smallest party in this government, but we’ve had the largest impact in terms of policy,” Mr O’Gorman said, highlighting cuts to childcare and public transport costs as key wins for the party.

He admitted that the  current polls show that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are likely to be returned to government, but cautioned against having them propped up by independents.

“I think it would be a very different government to the one we just had over the last four and a half years. We won’t see those innovative policies in terms of climate, in terms of helping families, in terms of public transport,” Mr O’Gorman said.

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The Children’s Minister admitted that the Greens had dealt with sniping from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael every day in government, but this did not stop the delivery of their priorities.

Questioned on how his party wanted to deal with immigration, the Green Party leader said that he wanted to see a new migration agency established to deal with the issue.

“This is the approach adopted in almost every single European country, that there’s a dedicated state organisation responsible for both the processing of international protection applicants and the sourcing of accommodation as well,” Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O'Gorman said that, rather than moves to abolish direct provision, the Greens would push for the new accommodation strategy to be implemented.

   

   

   

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