FF pressure on Greens to stay in power until late March

COALITION:GREEN MINISTERS have come under pressure from Fianna Fáil to remain in Government until at least late March if they want legislation on climate change and corporate donations enacted.

Growing tensions between the Coalition partners culminated in Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey angrily criticising the Green Party’s behaviour at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, sources in both parties confirmed yesterday.

“There was a row. They wanted their own Green legislation pushed through. Basically, they were told they should’ve thought of that before they called time on the Government,” a Fianna Fáil source said.

A spokesman for the Greens in Government would not comment on Cabinet proceedings but indicated the party could be persuaded to pull back from its original demand, made on November 22nd, that it wanted an election in the second half of January. “It’s certainly worth looking at if it means getting key legislation through, but this can’t go on for ever and progress can be made pretty quickly.”

A separate Government source confirmed that Fianna Fáil wanted “as long a lead-in time to a general election as possible”.

The election had been widely expected to take place towards the end of February or the beginning of March.

A source within the Green Party said Fianna Fáil would not attempt to block Green-sponsored legislation but would try to prevent the poll taking place until “the other side of Patrick’s Day”.

“They may choose to use corporate donations or climate change as carrots to try to drag out the length of time that the Dáil sits rather than trying to block legislation.”

Relations between the Government partners were described as “fairly difficult at the moment, but that’s to be expected in the current circumstances”.

The Greens have presented Fianna Fáil with a “wish list” of proposed legislation the party wants to see made law before the Dáil is dissolved. Aside from the Climate Change Bill and the Electoral Amendment Bill – to clamp down on corporate donations to political parties – the list includes additional animal welfare legislation, proposals on waste levies and the Dublin mayoral Bill, which has been sent to committee stage.

The full implementation of the Aarhus Convention on access to environmental information has also been requested.

None of the Green-sponsored legislation, except for the Local Government (Dublin Mayor and Regional Authority) Bill, is on the Government’s so-called “A list” for enactment.

When the Dáil returns a week early, on January 11th, the Government’s priority will be to ensure the passage of the Finance Bill.

Legislative measures are also required to obtain the €85 billion EU-IMF package, with a deadline of May 2011 set for the enacting of laws in the memorandum of understanding on the conditions for the financial support.