Green Party concern over lack of costings in FG-FF framework document

The Green Party is to seek further information from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil about the contents of their joint policy framework amid concerns that the document is too vague.

Green Party TDs held a parliamentary party meeting on Thursday morning to discuss the new proposed framework, during which party members expressed concerns about the lack of costings in the joint plan.

Party leader Eamon Ryan said he wanted to see targets set for a reduction in emissions and more specific detail around housing.

The Green Party is due to hold a further meeting on Friday to discuss the best way to reopen communication with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in order to seek clarification.

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The Social Democrats are also due to hold further meetings on Friday after expressing initial reservations about the coalition framework.

Mr Ryan has said the Green Party will not rush into negotiations on a programme for government, but said his political philosophy was to talk with and work with other parties.

“How many houses, where, what type of houses, how much cost rental, how much social housing, that kind of detail is going to be needed,” Mr Ryan said.

“What is the detail behind the aspiration? In some cases that can be hard with the economic situation being uncertain, but something like climate, that 7 per cent target [to cut emissions], we know that is what the scientists say we have to do. We know we agreed it in the climate committee. Let’s be ambitious and precise and clear.

“The document is vague on details, and will require a lot more work. I do not think that this is the negotiating document. I think that will come later.”

Mr Ryan said he believed the job in politics was “to work with people, and to aim high together”.

Dáil arithmetic

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are hoping to bring in the Greens, Independents and other smaller parties to increase their Dáil arithmetic from 72, because a majority of 80 is needed. The Green Party has 12 TDs following February’s general election.

On the idea of a national unity government which was previously floated by the Greens and which would see nearly every party form a government, Mr Ryan admitted that he was not getting a positive response from other parties. “That forces us to look at other options of course.”

The Green Party’s Dublin Rathdown TD Catherine Martin said the document as presented was “remarkably vague, and we would be seeking clarity on a variety of issues before we would consider entering talks”.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said Fine Gael was “open” to examining ways to achieve emissions reductions, but said there would need to be clarity on how that could be achieved.

Senior Fianna Fáil sources have also claimed that the Green Party has been “vague” on how emissions targets could be met, signalling imminent tensions in any talks on government formation.

Climate change

Mr Donohoe said that “given the challenge that is still there with climate change, if any government was to commit to a higher path of emissions reductions there would have to be agreement within that government regarding how that could happen, how it could be achieved, and how it could be funded” in a way that would be “economically and socially sustainable for Ireland”.

At the meeting of Green Party TDs, several party members expressed concern about the lack of costings in the framework document, a concern that has been echoed by members of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.