Coalition talks are ‘risky’, say Green Party TDs and councillors

A number of Green Party TDs and councillors have expressed concern around the decision to enter formal negotiations with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, describing the holding of talks as "worrying" and "risky".

The leaders of the Green Party, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are scheduled to meet on Tuesday following a vote at the Greens’ parliamentary party on Sunday to join talks on a three-party coalition government.

Dublin Fingal TD Joe O’Brien said the majority of Green party members would have regarded a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as “bottom of their list of preferences” during the election.

Any negotiations were "risky" and came with a "heavy caveat" that the Greens would walk away if the deal on the table was not good enough.

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However, the Green TD also acknowledged that waiting until the next general election before looking to join a Government-coalition may not be a smart move. “God knows what the political landscape will look like in five years. Can we wait five years?”

Green party members need to see commitments around “transformative climate action” and social justice issues such as housing and ending direct provision, he said. “Just because we’ve agreed to enter talks does not mean this is a fait accompli by a long shot,” said the Dublin Fingal TD.

One prominent Green party source described the decision to proceed with talks as “very worrying”.

People often say the Greens are Dublin centric but we're not. We want to see more connections across the country and transport is a key element of that

“A lot of members would be very concerned that Fine Gael were in government for 10 years and created a situation where we have 10,000 people homeless. We’re not just a party that cares about climate; we also need to address this moral stain.”

The source said a “cast iron” programme for government, which includes transformative change, would be needed to get members on board. “Otherwise it’s not worth the risk.”

‘Bare minimimum’

Patrick Costello, Green party TD for Dublin South Central, said the Green Party's demand for a 7 per cent a year target for reducing carbon emissions must be accepted by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

“This isn’t some number we invented; it’s in the Paris agreement, it’s science. Climate change is important not just for us but for the future of our planet and these are international agreements. This is the bare minimum we need to do.”

Waterford TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh said the party had consistently stated throughout the election campaign that it was prepared to speak to people on all sides but that any coalition plan for Government needed to be climate and biodiversity centred.

“It will also need a radical overhaul of society in the context of protecting the most vulnerable,” he told The Irish Times, adding that any deal would be brought back to the nearly 3,000 Green party members to vote on.

The party will need to secure a two-thirds majority of this membership if it is to enter government.

“Our members deserve to be consulted throughout this. The canvassers who stood behind me deserve to be asked their opinion.”

Red line issue

Green party councillor Hazel Chu said a commitment to building social housing would be a red line issue for many members and that a European model of cost rental housing should be included in Government plans.

An increase in national public transport projects will also be needed to get Green party members on board, she said. “People often say the Greens are Dublin centric but we’re not. We want to see more connections across the country and transport is a key element of that.”

Party members will want to see a costed plan with a clear schedule for the 17 demands laid out by the Greens in order to sign up to any coalition, said Ms Chu, adding Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s responses to the questions had lacked clarity.

“In their response to direct provision they said they would implement the McMahon report but what does that mean in terms of timing? There’s no point in walking into Government without understanding fully what can and cannot be achieved.”

Dublin South-West TD Francis Duffy agreed that the 17 questions had not been properly answered and said he would have preferred to wait for clarification on these issues before moving forward with talks.

To be honest I can't see any deal with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael passing the membership convention

“It wouldn’t be mature not to go to the table but I’ve had issues with how this process has played out. I really don’t think any of our questions were answered. If you read the document they sent it’s vague. But I do think negotiations should happen so we can thrash out what our position is and the mandate we have.”

He agreed that a “costed and timelined” programme for Government was crucial for the Greens to move forward.

‘Enduring change’

The Young Greens released a statement on Sunday night saying it was disappointed the party had agreed to enter formal negotiations “considering the stand of responses received by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to date, and the failure for those parties to agree carbon emissions reduction targets for 7 per cent over the lifetime of the next Government”.

“We need lasting and enduring change, and we need a Green Party to fight for that change. We do not believe a Government involving Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will deliver that change,” said the Young Greens statement.

Former MEP and general election candidate Saoirse McHugh said the responses to Green Party’s demands did “not inspire hope” and while there was no harm in talking, she did not believe many members would support the coalition.

“To be honest I can’t see any deal with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael passing the membership convention,” said Ms McHugh.

She also questioned how much control the Green Party would hold if it entered Government with the two larger parties. “We might get environment and transport but if you don’t mainstream environmental action to every single department and if it’s completely underfunded that won’t matter.”

Ms McHugh argued the Greens could be “very effective” in opposition and could “build things from the outside”, warning that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were just “playing games” with the smaller party. “They have no ambition but to stay in power.”