Greens may as well hang in there as they’re sure to hang separately

WHY have domestic politics become so boring? Last year, since the local and European elections, there has been a palpable sense of tension and uncertainty within the Dáil and Government.

This has subsided in the new year due to the logical conclusion that there aren’t any circumstances whereby the Green party will pull out of Government anytime soon. There was a prospect that the Greens might exert greater political leverage because of a drubbing in those elections and the tightening of the Dáil arithmetic. This has not materialised. John Gormley and Eamon Ryan have underplayed their hand due to inexperience and a lack of political courage.

The similarities with the demise of the Progressive Democrats are remarkably uncanny. The latest opinion poll shows the Greens down 1% to 3%. This threatens the loss of their entire six Dáil seats. Ciarán Cuffe, Paul Gogarty and Mary White all hold marginal seats. These now look irretrievable. Ministerial constituencies like Dublin South and Dublin South East are particularly volatile and previously evicted Liz O’Donnell and Michael McDowell. If Trevor Sargent is the only deputy re-elected they are in meltdown territory. This vulnerability has undermined their cojones.