Political structures - Ignoring the obvious lessons

A line from a Green Party activist during the EU referendum campaign was as revelatory as it was an unfortunate indication of how the engineering of our political structures is so very difficult for small parties and the diverse and important views they represent.

This quirk has made it easier for Ireland’s monoliths — Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil — to ignore what are incorrectly perceived as sideline issues and dodge hard, divisive realities. Avoiding for so long a property tax and water charges were, until penury and the troika forced a reality check, just two examples of this wishful thinking-as-policy failing.

The Green spokesman declined to offer any position on the fiscal treaty, believing that the party was regarded as so very toxic that expressing any view would damage whichever position they supported.