The Green Party - There is still a job to do

THE Green Party meets this weekend to pick over their election bones and consider its future.

Just like Fianna Fáil the party’s short-term prospects do not look rosy but that does not mean we can ignore the issues they did so much to bring to the fore.

Founded 30 years ago the party does not have a single Dáil deputy and because its vote fell below 2% it will not get any state funding. Its situation will remain precarious unless they can combine pragmatism and idealism in a way that convinces the electorate.

Green parties in other countries have endured a trouncing at the polls but recovered to fight another day and there is no reason to believe that the Irish Greens cannot make such a recovery.

Unless our main parties show a more proactive empathy with the great environmental issues facing us all the Greens have a job to do and a future.