GREEN PARTY leader John Gormley has said the Coalition must confront some of the most difficult choices ever made by a government in Ireland in the coming weeks, when it begins an emergency budget to raise €4.5 billion in additional revenues by the end of the year.
In his opening address at the party’s national convention in Wexford last night, Mr Gormley told delegates that the position of the Irish economy was “grim indeed right now”, posing challenges that went to the heart of the independence and sovereignty of the State.
Difficult decisions, he said, were unavoidable. “These decisions are absolutely necessary so this country can have a viable and sustainable financial future. We are talking not just about prosperity, but also the independence of our people now and into the future,” he said.
The Green Party leader disclosed new developments in the controversy surrounding cut-backs in the Equality Authority that led to the resignation of its chief executive, Niall Crowley.
Mr Gormley said planned decentralisation of the authority to Roscrea has been halted. A new review of its funding has been agreed, he said, which would “ensure that it can do its work effectively”.
He praised Mr Crowley as a man of integrity, and accepted that the changes in the authority’s status and structure had caused “deep concern and upset” within his party.
Referring to the economy, Mr Gormley contended that the theme of the party convention, the “Green New Deal”, contained solutions to the deepening recession.
Singling out the “green tech” sector, Mr Gormley said the global market for such environmental goods and services would double over the next decade to €2.7 trillion. Ireland must get a significant slice of that market, he said.
The Green Party, he continued, had already begun moving in that direction during its 20 months in government. He claimed that initiatives led by the two Green Ministers would create 10,000 jobs this year.
“This includes 4,500 jobs in the Government’s €100 million insulation scheme and a further 4,700 jobs in building our water infrastructure.
“There will be up to 2,000 more in renewable energy and energy efficiency schemes under Eamon Ryan in the Department of Energy,” he said.
He told the delegates that the party would press for Ireland to take a lead in the clean tech sector. “We can grow our green enterprise sector into a world class export business, creating thousands of highly skilled ‘green collar’ jobs,” he said.
Some 600 delegates are attending the conference this weekend, the second since the Greens entered government. The party said last night that it would field 82 candidates in the local elections on June 5th. It currently has 29 county and town councillors.