Liz Dunphy: Greens bullish about election chances despite poor polling

Eamon Ryan says one in 10 voters “get” the Green agenda and could and should vote green in the next elections

Eamonn Ryan  said his party was “the front wheel” of Government rather than “the mudguard”.  Picture: Andy Gibson

Heavy conversations at the Green Party’s annual think-in were echoed by even heavier rain outside as politicians gathered in Tramore, Co Waterford, to discuss budgets, election strategies, and their futures.

The smallest coalition partner in government is historically repeatedly slaughtered at the polls, blamed for all the bad while given credit for none of the good.

But despite poor recent poll predictions, Eamon Ryan was bullish about his party’s prospects at next June’s local and European elections and in the general elections due to be held by March 2025.

Despite being a junior coalition partner, Mr Ryan said his party was “the front wheel” of Government rather than “the mudguard”. 

One in 10 voters “get” the Green agenda and could and should vote green in the next elections, he said, adding that he was “looking forward” to leading the party into the next general election.

“We can and will rise as a country to show a way forward, to live more sustainably on this earth and protect our young people’s future,” Mr Ryan said.

Breaking news that An Bord Pleanála refused permission to build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal on the Shannon Estuary near Ballylongford in Kerry, may have further buoyed up the party mood on Friday.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is understood to support the controversial plan, but Mr Ryan was vehemently opposed to it.

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Reacting to news of the planning refusal, Mr Ryan promised that the west “would thrive” without LNG in a clean, green energy future.

“The jobs will come to where the power is. The power is in the Atlantic and we’re going to bring that ashore,” Mr Ryan said.

“We’re going to bring huge investment to Kerry, Limerick, Clare."

Mr Ryan said that the Green Party was best placed to lead the country to a safer, more prosperous future. 

But Green policies were not all about long-term idealism, with the €600 euro energy credit, announced in last year’s budget, having been a Green Party idea which had helped households across the country cope immediately during a cost-of-living crisis.

But the question remains, whether voters will remember the party for those policies at the polling booths.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, said that he has been canvassing for the past 18 months and the mood on the doors is “very different” from the last time they were in coalition government.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman said that he has been canvassing for the past 18 months and the mood on the doors is “very different” from the last time they were in coalition government. Picture: Andy Gibson

“People see clearly the impact of the Green Party in this government in terms of delivering on our key green policy aims — whether that’s in childcare, public transport or energy fields.

"But they also see how we’ve contributed to a stable and progressive Government in this country. 

"We are implementing progressive policies —whether that’s in terms of greater family leave, parental leave, greater rights for workers — on a range of issues — we are the progressive voice in this Government. I think people recognise that.

“We already have 100 candidates selected for the local elections — that’s more than we ran in 2019 — so we’re getting candidates, we’ll have a strong set of candidates and it will be up to them to advocate in their own communities on the work they’ll do but also how the Greens are having a really significant impact on the Government over the last three years."

"I’m proud of the specific Green policies that we’ve implemented but also that we got our country through Covid. 

"We faced a huge challenge in terms of the war in Ukraine , stepping up massively in terms of our humanitarian responsibilities. 

"But also that the country is in such a good condition now , that we do have that surplus to invest in supporting families and communities.” 

Green Party TD for Limerick, Brain Leddin, said that he believes the party is in “a good enough place” facing three elections.

“Everybody inside [the party think-in] reported that they're getting very good feedback on the doors," he said.

Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan said that the Green’s have had major legislative and cultural impacts at national, local, and EU level and it was now up to the party to communicate those major wins effectively to voters.

“I just hope that the public realise that, you know, that the agenda that we're pursuing is a really important agenda for humanity.

Members of the Green Party at the party's think-in. Picture: Andy Gibson

“The Greens are pursuing an agenda where we will create a better standard of living for people in general, but we're also creating the jobs, the innovation which the Irish are very good at, to secure a prosperous economy and society into the future.” 

Joe O’Brien, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, said that the party was in “ a good position” with more local election candidates than it had ever had before.

“That's a good sort of a health check in terms of where the party is. We have 100 local election candidates confirmed at the moment. That's more than we've ever had. 

"So that's quite satisfying because it's really at that level where you want to see how the party is doing.

“When there are people putting their hands up at that level across the country, I think it bodes well for us.”