Mr Trevor Sargent at today's press conference. Photo: Aoife Carr
Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent today compared the recent Cabinet reshuffle to "shifting deckchairs on the Titanic".
Speaking at a conference outlining the Green Party's plans for the new Dáil session, he said the present Government didn't seem to want to rise to the challenges facing the country.
He said the Green Party wanted to change the way the country is run with vibrant, creative and intelligent policies.
"We want to revolutionise renewable energy and public transport systems, prioritise strategic planning and affordable housing, promote an enterprise culture and promote Ireland as a centre of excellence for clean green food," he said.
Mr Sargent added that the Irish economy was over-reliant on oil and said "the Government is not prepared for a post-petroleum society. The Greens are ready for that challenge."
The chairman of the party, Mr John Gormley, said the next two and a half years were crucial to the Green Party's development. He said the party was in "great nick" with a recent influx of new, young members.
He criticised the government for its "total lack of imagination" and said one of his main aims for the new Dáil session was to put pressure on the new Minister for Health, Ms Mary Harney, to ensure she delivered on promises such as the 200,000 extra medical cards.
Green Party Whip and spokesman on finance, Mr Dan Boyle, said the party would be working on a policy to integrate the tax and social welfare system to free people from poverty traps and to recognise and pay for caring work that goes on in Irish society which is not valued under the current Government.
The Green Party spokesman on education, Mr Paul Gogarty, spoke of the importance of funding for primary education and said the party would invest in a comprehensive school building programme but would research new, innovative and cost effective ways of funding the projects.
Mr Ciaran Cuffe said he would be looking at the issue of affordable housing and stressed the importance of using sustainable planning to create vibrant new communities rather than urban and rural sprawl.
The party's spokesman on transport and natural resources, Mr Eamon Ryan, said former Minister for Transport Mr Seamus Brennan had "left the Department in disarray." He said the Greens would completely overhaul the current transport system and bring the Luas to Cork, a Metro Line to Swords as well as introducing a number of other new rail lines.
Asked about a possible future coalition with Fianna Fáil, Mr Sargent said the Green party would never go into Government with Fianna Fáil but said no formal talks had taken place with other parties with regard to a possible coalition.