Greens insist legislation agenda is on track, despite FG claims

THE GREEN Party is insisting legislation it has proposed will come before the Dáil ahead of the summer recess, despite Fine Gael’s claim the junior coalition partner’s Bills have been dropped.

Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan said proposed legislation relating to stag hunting, dog breeding and the Dublin mayor did not appear on a list circulated between party whips.

He pointed to Mr Gormley’s insistence in an interview with The Irish Times this week that the Greens wanted to see progress on the legislation before the summer recess.

“John Gormley said that the Wildlife Amendment Bill, the Dog Breeding Establishment Bill and the Bill providing for a directly-elected mayor of Dublin would all be passed before the summer,” Mr Hogan said.

“Even the least sharp-eyed Green Party supporter can see that those Bills are nowhere on the Government’s list. It’s clear that Fianna Fáil have stalled the Green Party agenda in Government.”

Mr Hogan said the Department of the Taoiseach had e-mailed the party whips a list of nine Bills it was hoped would come before the House before the summer recess.

Government Chief Whip John Curran insisted Mr Hogan was wrong. “I would reassure Deputy Phil Hogan that he is incorrect in the accusation he has made . . . I would assure the deputy that Fianna Fáil and the Greens are working together to fulfil all of our legislative commitments,” Mr Curran said.

“It is unfortunate that Fine Gael took it upon themselves to distribute a partial internal document which was for circulation strictly between the whips of the various parties.”

A spokesman for the Green Party said the matter had been clarified to the party’s satisfaction by the Government Whip. “These things are on the list,” he said. Asked about reports that Mr Gormley had sought a meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen about the matter, the spokesman said the pair had met yesterday but not in this instance about this particular issue.

However, Labour Party whip Emmet Stagg last night said no effort had been made to inform him the Green legislation would come before the Dáil.

“It’s very strange. There was an extensive interview with the leader of the Greens only a few days ago in which he said how important they [the Bills] were, and none of them have appeared.”

The Bills listed on the e-mail referred to by Mr Hogan related to: merchant shipping, health, carbon, social welfare, Údarás Na Gaeltachta, head shops, prescriptions and roads.

The Health Miscellaneous Provisions Bill and the Health Amendment Bill were also mentioned.