The message from the new leader of the Green Party Roderic O’Gorman, is very much one of continuity rather than change. O’Gorman has no plans for a reshuffle of Green ministers, either junior or senior. Former leader Eamon Ryan will remain in charge of his two departments, Transport and Environment/Climate, while former deputy leader Catherine Martin will continue as Minister for Media and Culture.
The three Green junior ministers will also stay in office, including the defeated candidate, Senator Pippa Hackett, who will continue to sit at the Cabinet table as a “super junior”.
O’Gorman is faced with a daunting challenge: saving as many Green seats as possible in the next general election and leading the party back into Government to continue its climate action agenda. The 2020 general election saw the Greens win a record 12 seats and leverage that election success into the “greenest” programme for government Ireland has seen. It has had a good measure of success in implementing that programme and in particular translating policy goals into legislation which places binding obligations on this and future governments.
But progress in pursuing some targets has been slow – too slow to make the targeted reduction of carbon emissions by 50 per cent in 2030 look likely to be achieved.
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Opinion polls and the results of the recent local and European elections suggest that the Greens are facing a battle to avoid the fate of many small parties in Government – electoral decimation. At this point in the cycle, O’Gorman’s primary task now is a political one – trying to save his seats and, where possible, win new ones.
With ministerial responsibility for areas as diverse as childcare and refugee accommodation, it would be understandable for O’Gorman to focus on completing the policy agenda for this administration in his and other Green ministers’ departments. But his job is now a more political one. Bringing the Green message to voters who are open to hearing it must be his top priority.