Why have the Greens opted out?

I AM a frequent visitor to the Ballinasloe area of Co Galway where I understand that neither the Greens nor the Labour Party s contesting the local elections.

The Labour Party is not going to run a candidate because they do not have a candidate to run. The Green Party, however, did have a suitable candidate, William Finnerty, but at a meeting some weeks ago in Ballinasloe a vote was taken whether to let him run.

The vote was lost (from Finnerty's point of view) by six to four, and now there is nobody running for the Greens in that area.