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Green Party (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The Green Party is a green political party
in Ireland
. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes
. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English. Its leader is Eamon Ryan
and its chairman is Dan Boyle
.
Green Party candidates have been elected to all levels of representation; local
, Dáil
and European Parliament
, and in 2007 the party gained its first representation in the Northern Ireland Assembly
, the Northern Ireland party
having become a region of the Irish party in the previous year.
The Greens became part of the Irish government for the first time following the Irish general election, 2007, having agreed upon a programme for government in coalition
with Fianna Fáil
and the Progressive Democrats
. In the wake of the Irish financial crisis
, the party came under pressure to withdraw its support for the administration. Party leader John Gormley
called publicly in November 2010 for a general election in the state to be fixed by the latter half of January 2011, allowing time for the Oireachtas
to pass legislation for European Union
and International Monetary Fund
financial support for Ireland; the date of the election was eventually set for March 2011. With further postponements threatened by Fianna Fáil, and increasingly dissatisfied with their larger coalition partner, the party announced its withdrawal from government on 23 January 2011. This brought forward the election date to 25 February 2011; in the process, all six Green Party TDs lost their seats. Following the 2011 Seanad Éireann
election, the party no longer has any representatives in the Oireachtas
. It has one representative in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
, with their party founder winning 1.9% in the Dublin constituency. The following year they won their first election when Marcus Counihan was elected to Killarney Urban District Council during the 1985 Local Elections. The party nationally ran 34 candidates and won 0.6% of the vote. The party continued to struggle until the general election of 1989
when the again renamed party won its first seat in parliament, the Dáil, when Roger Garland
was elected in Dublin South
. In the 1994 European Parliament election
Patricia McKenna
topped the poll for the Dublin Constituency and Nuala Ahern
won a seat in Leinster. They retained their seats in 1999
. In the general election of 1997
the party gained a seat when John Gormley
won a Dáil seat in Dublin South East
.
At the general election of 2002
that it made a breakthrough, getting 6 Teachtaí Dála
(TDs) elected to the Dáil with 4% of the national vote. However, in the election to the European Parliament of June 2004
, the party lost both of the European Parliament seats. In the 2004 local elections at county level it increased its number of councillors from 8 to 18 out of 883 and at town council level its number of councillors increased from 5 to 14 out of 744. However, the vast majority of its seats were lost at the 2009 council elections, including its entire traditional Dublin base, where - with the exception of a Town Council Seat in Balbriggan - it now holds no council seats at all in Dublin and only three County Council seats in total. It has about fifteen hundred members.
As of 01 August 2011, its 15 members are:
Eamon Ryan
– Leader, Catherine Martin – Deputy Leader, Dan Boyle
– Chairman, Martin Nolan – Treasurer, Catherine Fravalo – Deputy National Coordinator, Micheal Callaghan – Young Greens, Damian Connon, Roderic O'Gorman, Claire Bailey, Dominick Donnelly – National Coordinator, Steven Agnew, Marianne Butler, Darcy Longergan, Trish Forde-Brennan and Stan Nangle.
was elected the first official leader of the Green Party. He was re-elected to this position in 2003 and again in 2005. The party's constitution requires that a leadership election be held within six months of a general election.
Sargent resigned the leadership in the wake of the general election to the 30th Dáil. During the campaign, Sargent had promised that he would not lead the party into Government with Fianna Fáil
. In the election outcome the party retained 6 Dáil seats, making them the most likely partner for Fianna Fáil. Sargent and the party negotiated a coalition government and at the 12 June 2007 membership meeting to approve the agreement, he announced his resignation as leader.
In the subsequent leadership election, John Gormley
became the new leader on 17 July 2007, defeating Patricia McKenna
by 478 votes to 263. Mary White
was subsequently elected as the deputy Leader
. John Gormley
served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government from July 2007 until the Green Party's decision to exit Government in December 2010.
Following the election defeat of 2011, John Gormley announced his intention not to seek another term as Green Party leader. Eamon Ryan
was elected as the new party leader, over party colleagues Phil Kearney and Cllr Malcolm Noonan in a postal ballot election of party members in May 2011. Monaghan based former councillor Catherine Martin defeated Down based Dr John Barry
and former Senator Mark Dearey
to the post of Deputy Leader on 11 June 2011 during the party's annual convention.
The Green Party had six seats in the Irish government but lost them all in the 2011 general election. Party Chairman Dan Boyle
and Déirdre de Búrca
were nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann
after the formation of the Fianna Fáil–PD
–Green Party government in 2007 and Niall Ó Brolcháin
elected in December 2009. De Búrca resigned in February 2010, and was replaced by Mark Dearey
. Neither Dan Boyle or Niall O'Brolchain were re-elected to Seanad Eireann in the Seanad election of 2011, meaning the Green Party is currently without Oireachtas representation.
party, with a Region in each of the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
. (The former Green Party in Northern Ireland
voted to become a region of the Irish Green Party in 2005 at its Annual Convention, and again in a postal ballot in March 2006.) Brian Wilson
, formerly a councillor for the Alliance Party
, won the Green Party's first seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly
in the 2007 election
.
The Irish Green Party is a member of the European Green Party
. Though it previously held a more eurosceptic
stance than is usually articulated by most other green parties in Europe, the party backed the Lisbon Treaty with support from two thirds of the party.
won a seat for the first time in Carlow-Kilkenny however, Dan Boyle
lost his seat in Cork South Central leaving the party with the same number of TDs as before.
Those elected were:
the party received 1.9% of the vote nationally (a reduction of 2% since 2004) and no candidate was elected.
In the 2009 local elections in the Republic
the party received 2.3% of the vote nationally (a reduction of 1% since 2004) and 3 candidates were elected to County Councils compared to 18 previously. It also had 15 candidates elected to town and borough councils. However one councillor has since resigned from the party
, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Eamon Ryan
, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Trevor Sargent
was named the junior minister
for Minister of State for Food and Horticulture
, however Sargeant later resigned the position in 2010. On 23 March 2010, the Green Party gained two new junior ministries. Ciaran Cuffe was appointed as Minister for Horticulture, Sustainable Travel, Planning and Heritage. Mary White was appointed as Minister for Equality, Human Rights and Integration. Both Cuffe and White resigned their positions on 23 January 2011, following the decision of the Green Party to leave Government.
The Green Party had approached the 2007 General Election in the Republic on an independent platform, ruling out no coalition partners while expressing its preference for an alternative to the incumbent coalition. The results of the election ruled out the possibility of a Fine Gael/Labour/Green government without support from a combination of the Progressive Democrats, Sinn Féin and various independents (77 seats) leaving it 7 seats short of a majority. Fine Gael ruled out a potential coalition arrangement with Sinn Féin opening the way for Green Party negotiations with Fianna Fáil.
wrote on his blog that "a deal with Fianna Fáil
would be a deal with the devil... and [the Green Party would be] decimated as a Party.". The negotiations were undertaken by Dan Boyle
, Donall Geoghegan (the party's general secretary) and the at that time party Chair John Gormley
. The Green Party walked out after 6 days in what Donall Geoghegan later said was due to there not being "enough in [the deal] to allow [the Green Party] to continue". The negotiations restarted on 11 June with a draft programme for government being agreed one day later, which under party rules needed 66% of members to endorse it at a special convention.
On 13 June 2007, Green members in the Mansion House
, Dublin, voted 86% in favour (441 to 67; with 2 spoilt votes) of entering coalition with Fianna Fáil. The following day, the six Green Party TDs voted for the re-election of Bertie Ahern
as Taoiseach
.
This was the first time the Green Party had entered government in Ireland.
movement, the campaign to reroute the M3 motorway away from Tara
and (to a lesser extent) the campaign to end United States military use of Shannon airport
. Since the Green Party entered government, there has been no substantive change in government policy on these issues, which meant that Eamon Ryan oversaw the Corrib gas project while he was in office. The Green Party made an inquiry into the irregularities surrounding the project (see Corrib gas controversy
) a precondition of government at their last annual conference but changed their stance during post-election negotiations with Fianna Fáil. The County Mayo
branch of the party still supports efforts to relocate the refinery to an alternative location.
from January 2009, a tax scheme incentivising commuters' purchases of bicycles and a new scale of Vehicle Registration Tax
based on carbon emissions.
. At a special convention on 19 January 2008 to consider whether or not to support what would become the Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, the party voted 63.5% in favour of supporting the Lisbon Treaty fell short of the party's two-third majority requirement for policy issues. As a result, the Green Party did not participate in the referendum debate, although individual members were involved on different sides
Following the Irish Government's negotiation with EU member states of additional legal guarantees and assurances, and the subsequent adoption by Dáil and Seanad Éireann of the Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill (2009), the Green Party held another special convention meeting in Dublin on 18 July 2009 to decide its position on the second Lisbon referendum. At the meeting precisely two thirds of party members present voted to campaign for a Yes in the referendum . This was the first time in the party's history that it campaigned in favour of a European treaty.
, one of two Green Party Senators nominated by Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
in 2007, resigned from the party and her seat, in part due to Gormley's inability to secure her a job in the European Commission
. On 23 February 2010, Trevor Sargent
, one of six Green Party TDs, and former leader of the party from 2001 to 2007, resigned as Minister of State for Food and Horticulture
due to allegations over contacting Gardaí about a criminal case involving a constituent.
Brian Cowen
following his resignation as leader of coalition partner Fianna Fáil
the previous afternoon. The Green Party then announced it was withdrawing from governing the country and took its place on the opposition benches with immediate effect. Green Party leader John Gormley
said at a press conference announcing the withdrawal: The party had two ministers: Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley
and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan
. These were reassigned to Fianna Fáil
ministers Éamon Ó Cuív
and Pat Carey
respectively. Green Ministers of State
Ciarán Cuffe
and Mary White
also resigned from their roles.
, the introduction of major planning reform, a major increase in renewable energy output, and a nationwide scheme of home insulation retrofitting.
and Eamon Ryan
. Three out of their six incumbent TDs lost their deposits. The party's share of the vote fell below 2%, meaning that they could not reclaim election expenses, and their lack of parliamentary representation led to the ending of state funding for the party. This financial crisis makes it likely that the Greens will be forced to close their Dublin office and make "some if not all" of their staff redundant.
The candidates in the 2011 Seanad election were Dan Boyle and Niall Ó Brolcháin, but neither were elected, and as a result for the first time since 1989, the Greens have no representatives in the Oireachtas
.
Eamon Ryan
was elected as party leader on 27 May 2011, succeeding John Gormley.
In December 1994, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left entered into government without a general election being called.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes
Christopher Fettes
Christopher Fettes is a founder of the Irish Green Party and an honorary member of the International Vegetarian Union and of the World Esperanto Association....
. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English. Its leader is Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
and its chairman is Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
.
Green Party candidates have been elected to all levels of representation; local
Local government in the Republic of Ireland
Local government functions in the Republic of Ireland are mostly exercised by thirty-four local authorities, termed county or city councils, which cover the entire territory of the state. The area under the jurisdiction of each of these authorities corresponds to the area of each of the 34 LAU I...
, Dáil
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
and European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, and in 2007 the party gained its first representation in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, the Northern Ireland party
Green Party in Northern Ireland
The Green Party in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland subdivision of the Irish Green Party, based on the principles of Green politics. It works in co-operation with Green parties across Europe, and was formerly a party in its own right...
having become a region of the Irish party in the previous year.
The Greens became part of the Irish government for the first time following the Irish general election, 2007, having agreed upon a programme for government in coalition
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
and the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
. In the wake of the Irish financial crisis
2008–2011 Irish financial crisis
The 2008–2011 Irish financial crisis, which had stemmed from the financial crisis of 2008, is a major political and economic crisis in Ireland that is partly responsible for the country falling into recession for the first time since the 1980s...
, the party came under pressure to withdraw its support for the administration. Party leader John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
called publicly in November 2010 for a general election in the state to be fixed by the latter half of January 2011, allowing time for the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
to pass legislation for European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
financial support for Ireland; the date of the election was eventually set for March 2011. With further postponements threatened by Fianna Fáil, and increasingly dissatisfied with their larger coalition partner, the party announced its withdrawal from government on 23 January 2011. This brought forward the election date to 25 February 2011; in the process, all six Green Party TDs lost their seats. Following the 2011 Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
election, the party no longer has any representatives in the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
. It has one representative in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
History
The party's first electoral outing was when 7 candidates contested the November 1982 general election under the Ecology Party banner, winning 0.2% of the vote. Following a name-change, they contested the 1984 European Parliament electionsEuropean Parliament election, 1984 (Ireland)
The 1984 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1984 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details:-See also:...
, with their party founder winning 1.9% in the Dublin constituency. The following year they won their first election when Marcus Counihan was elected to Killarney Urban District Council during the 1985 Local Elections. The party nationally ran 34 candidates and won 0.6% of the vote. The party continued to struggle until the general election of 1989
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
when the again renamed party won its first seat in parliament, the Dáil, when Roger Garland
Roger Garland
Roger Garland is an environmental activist and a former Irish Green Party politician. He was the Green Party's first candidate to be elected to Dáil Éireann, representing Dublin South from 1989 to 1992....
was elected in Dublin South
Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
. In the 1994 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1994 (Ireland)
The 1994 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1994 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details:-See also:...
Patricia McKenna
Patricia McKenna
Patricia McKenna is an Irish independent politician. She served as a Green Party Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency from 1994 to 2004.-Background:...
topped the poll for the Dublin Constituency and Nuala Ahern
Nuala Ahern
Nuala Ahern is a former Irish Green Party member of the European Parliament representing Leinster in Ireland from 1994–2004. Ahern became active in politics in 1991 becoming elected to Wicklow County Council...
won a seat in Leinster. They retained their seats in 1999
European Parliament election, 1999 (Ireland)
The 1999 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1999 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details :-See also:...
. In the general election of 1997
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
the party gained a seat when John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
won a Dáil seat in Dublin South East
Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
.
At the general election of 2002
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
that it made a breakthrough, getting 6 Teachtaí Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TDs) elected to the Dáil with 4% of the national vote. However, in the election to the European Parliament of June 2004
European Parliament election, 2004 (Ireland)
The 2004 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 2004 European Parliament election. The voting was held on Friday, 11 June 2004. The election coincided with the 2004 local elections...
, the party lost both of the European Parliament seats. In the 2004 local elections at county level it increased its number of councillors from 8 to 18 out of 883 and at town council level its number of councillors increased from 5 to 14 out of 744. However, the vast majority of its seats were lost at the 2009 council elections, including its entire traditional Dublin base, where - with the exception of a Town Council Seat in Balbriggan - it now holds no council seats at all in Dublin and only three County Council seats in total. It has about fifteen hundred members.
Organisation
The National Executive Committee is the organising committee of the party. It comprises the party leader Eamon Ryan, deputy leader Catherine Martin, Chair Dan Boyle, Young Greens representative, Treasurer and ten members elected annually at the party convention.As of 01 August 2011, its 15 members are:
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
– Leader, Catherine Martin – Deputy Leader, Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
– Chairman, Martin Nolan – Treasurer, Catherine Fravalo – Deputy National Coordinator, Micheal Callaghan – Young Greens, Damian Connon, Roderic O'Gorman, Claire Bailey, Dominick Donnelly – National Coordinator, Steven Agnew, Marianne Butler, Darcy Longergan, Trish Forde-Brennan and Stan Nangle.
Leadership
The party did not have a national leader until 2001. At a special "Leadership Convention" in Kilkenny on 6 October 2001, Trevor SargentTrevor Sargent
Trevor Sargent is an Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency from 1992 to 2011...
was elected the first official leader of the Green Party. He was re-elected to this position in 2003 and again in 2005. The party's constitution requires that a leadership election be held within six months of a general election.
Sargent resigned the leadership in the wake of the general election to the 30th Dáil. During the campaign, Sargent had promised that he would not lead the party into Government with Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
. In the election outcome the party retained 6 Dáil seats, making them the most likely partner for Fianna Fáil. Sargent and the party negotiated a coalition government and at the 12 June 2007 membership meeting to approve the agreement, he announced his resignation as leader.
In the subsequent leadership election, John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
became the new leader on 17 July 2007, defeating Patricia McKenna
Patricia McKenna
Patricia McKenna is an Irish independent politician. She served as a Green Party Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency from 1994 to 2004.-Background:...
by 478 votes to 263. Mary White
Mary White (Green Party politician)
Mary White is an Irish Green Party politician. She was a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2007 to 2011, and served as a Minister of State from 2010 to 2011.-Early and personal life:...
was subsequently elected as the deputy Leader
Deputy Leader
A deputy leader in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a political party, behind the party leader. Deputy leaders often become deputy prime minister when their parties are elected to government. In opposition, deputy leaders often lead Question Time sessions when the party leader is...
. John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government from July 2007 until the Green Party's decision to exit Government in December 2010.
Following the election defeat of 2011, John Gormley announced his intention not to seek another term as Green Party leader. Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
was elected as the new party leader, over party colleagues Phil Kearney and Cllr Malcolm Noonan in a postal ballot election of party members in May 2011. Monaghan based former councillor Catherine Martin defeated Down based Dr John Barry
John Barry (politician)
John Barry is a former co-chair of the Green Party in Northern Ireland, which is a regional council of the all island Green Party formed in December 2006. He stood down as co-chair in April 2009, having held the position since 2003....
and former Senator Mark Dearey
Mark Dearey
Mark Dearey is an Irish Green Party politician and former member of Seanad Éireann. He was nominated by the Taoiseach on 23 February 2010 following the resignation of Déirdre de Búrca....
to the post of Deputy Leader on 11 June 2011 during the party's annual convention.
The Green Party had six seats in the Irish government but lost them all in the 2011 general election. Party Chairman Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
and Déirdre de Búrca
Déirdre de Búrca
Déirdre de Búrca is a Green Party Irish politician and a former member of Seanad Éireann. She had represented the party on Wicklow County Council and Bray Town Council from 1999 to 2007 and in the Seanad from 2007 until her resignation from the parliamentary party in 2010.-Background:Born in...
were nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
after the formation of the Fianna Fáil–PD
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
–Green Party government in 2007 and Niall Ó Brolcháin
Niall Ó Brolcháin
Niall Ó Brolcháin is a former Irish Green Party politician, who was a member of Seanad Éireann from December 2009 to April 2011...
elected in December 2009. De Búrca resigned in February 2010, and was replaced by Mark Dearey
Mark Dearey
Mark Dearey is an Irish Green Party politician and former member of Seanad Éireann. He was nominated by the Taoiseach on 23 February 2010 following the resignation of Déirdre de Búrca....
. Neither Dan Boyle or Niall O'Brolchain were re-elected to Seanad Eireann in the Seanad election of 2011, meaning the Green Party is currently without Oireachtas representation.
Irish and European politics
The Green Party is an all-islandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
party, with a Region in each of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. (The former Green Party in Northern Ireland
Green Party in Northern Ireland
The Green Party in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland subdivision of the Irish Green Party, based on the principles of Green politics. It works in co-operation with Green parties across Europe, and was formerly a party in its own right...
voted to become a region of the Irish Green Party in 2005 at its Annual Convention, and again in a postal ballot in March 2006.) Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson (Northern Ireland politician)
Brian Wilson MLA is an Independent politician in Northern Ireland. He was the first member of the Green Party to be elected as member of the Northern Ireland Assembly....
, formerly a councillor for the Alliance Party
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
, won the Green Party's first seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
in the 2007 election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
.
The Irish Green Party is a member of the European Green Party
European Green Party
The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:...
. Though it previously held a more eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
stance than is usually articulated by most other green parties in Europe, the party backed the Lisbon Treaty with support from two thirds of the party.
Dáil election 2007
Although the party's share of first preference votes increased by some 22% from 3.84% to 4.69% nationally in the 2007 general election, held on 24 May 2007, the party failed to increase the number of TDs returned. Mary WhiteMary White (Green Party politician)
Mary White is an Irish Green Party politician. She was a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2007 to 2011, and served as a Minister of State from 2010 to 2011.-Early and personal life:...
won a seat for the first time in Carlow-Kilkenny however, Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
lost his seat in Cork South Central leaving the party with the same number of TDs as before.
Those elected were:
| Name | Constituency |
|---|---|
| Mary White Mary White (Green Party politician) Mary White is an Irish Green Party politician. She was a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2007 to 2011, and served as a Minister of State from 2010 to 2011.-Early and personal life:... |
Carlow–Kilkenny Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil Éireann constituency) Carlow–Kilkenny is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies... |
| Paul Gogarty Paul Gogarty Paul Nicholas Gogarty is a former Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Mid West constituency from 2002 to 2011. He currently works as a media commentator and journalist.-Early and private life:... |
Dublin Mid West Dublin Mid West (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin Mid–West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
| Trevor Sargent Trevor Sargent Trevor Sargent is an Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency from 1992 to 2011... |
Dublin North |
| John Gormley John Gormley John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11... |
Dublin South East Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
| Eamon Ryan Eamon Ryan Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011.... |
Dublin South Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies... |
| Ciarán Cuffe Ciarán Cuffe Ciarán Cuffe is an Irish Green Party politician, an architect and a lecturer in planning. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister of State for Horticulture; Sustainable Travel; and Planning and Heritage from 2010 to 2011.-Background:Born... |
Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dún Laoghaire is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
Local and European Elections 2009
In the 2009 European ElectionEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (Ireland)
The 2009 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 2009 European Parliament election and was held on Friday, 5 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections...
the party received 1.9% of the vote nationally (a reduction of 2% since 2004) and no candidate was elected.
In the 2009 local elections in the Republic
Irish local elections, 2009
The 2009 Irish local elections were held in all the counties, cities and towns of Ireland on Friday, 5 June 2009, on the same day as the European Parliament election and two by-elections .-Overview:...
the party received 2.3% of the vote nationally (a reduction of 1% since 2004) and 3 candidates were elected to County Councils compared to 18 previously. It also had 15 candidates elected to town and borough councils. However one councillor has since resigned from the party
In Government
The Green Party entered into [the Irish] government with Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats on 14 June 2007, gaining two senior ministers John GormleyJohn Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Trevor Sargent
Trevor Sargent
Trevor Sargent is an Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency from 1992 to 2011...
was named the junior minister
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
for Minister of State for Food and Horticulture
Minister of State (with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture)
The Minister of State for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of the Government of Ireland...
, however Sargeant later resigned the position in 2010. On 23 March 2010, the Green Party gained two new junior ministries. Ciaran Cuffe was appointed as Minister for Horticulture, Sustainable Travel, Planning and Heritage. Mary White was appointed as Minister for Equality, Human Rights and Integration. Both Cuffe and White resigned their positions on 23 January 2011, following the decision of the Green Party to leave Government.
The Green Party had approached the 2007 General Election in the Republic on an independent platform, ruling out no coalition partners while expressing its preference for an alternative to the incumbent coalition. The results of the election ruled out the possibility of a Fine Gael/Labour/Green government without support from a combination of the Progressive Democrats, Sinn Féin and various independents (77 seats) leaving it 7 seats short of a majority. Fine Gael ruled out a potential coalition arrangement with Sinn Féin opening the way for Green Party negotiations with Fianna Fáil.
Negotiations for Government
Before the negotiations began Ciarán CuffeCiarán Cuffe
Ciarán Cuffe is an Irish Green Party politician, an architect and a lecturer in planning. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister of State for Horticulture; Sustainable Travel; and Planning and Heritage from 2010 to 2011.-Background:Born...
wrote on his blog that "a deal with Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
would be a deal with the devil... and [the Green Party would be] decimated as a Party.". The negotiations were undertaken by Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
, Donall Geoghegan (the party's general secretary) and the at that time party Chair John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
. The Green Party walked out after 6 days in what Donall Geoghegan later said was due to there not being "enough in [the deal] to allow [the Green Party] to continue". The negotiations restarted on 11 June with a draft programme for government being agreed one day later, which under party rules needed 66% of members to endorse it at a special convention.
On 13 June 2007, Green members in the Mansion House
Mansion House, Dublin
The Mansion House on Dawson Street, Dublin, is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715.-Features:The Mansion House's most famous features include the "Round Room", where the First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 to proclaim the Irish Declaration of Independence...
, Dublin, voted 86% in favour (441 to 67; with 2 spoilt votes) of entering coalition with Fianna Fáil. The following day, the six Green Party TDs voted for the re-election of Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
as Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
.
This was the first time the Green Party had entered government in Ireland.
Criticisms
Before their entry into government, the Green Party were vocal supporters of the Shell to SeaShell to Sea
Shell to Sea is a campaign based in Cill Chomáin parish, Erris, County Mayo, Ireland which opposes the proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline through the parish and the ongoing construction by Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Vermilion Energy Trust of a refinery at Bellanaboy intended to...
movement, the campaign to reroute the M3 motorway away from Tara
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland...
and (to a lesser extent) the campaign to end United States military use of Shannon airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
. Since the Green Party entered government, there has been no substantive change in government policy on these issues, which meant that Eamon Ryan oversaw the Corrib gas project while he was in office. The Green Party made an inquiry into the irregularities surrounding the project (see Corrib gas controversy
Corrib gas controversy
The Corrib gas controversy concerns plans by Shell E&P Ireland, Statoil Exploration Limited, Vermilion Energy Trust and the Irish government for processing the Corrib gas field through Broadhaven Bay and Sruth Fada Conn Bay in Kilcommon parish, Erris, County Mayo, and objections raised against...
) a precondition of government at their last annual conference but changed their stance during post-election negotiations with Fianna Fáil. The County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
branch of the party still supports efforts to relocate the refinery to an alternative location.
2008 Budget
The 2008 budget, announced on 6 December 2007, did not include a carbon levy on fuels such as petrol, diesel and home heating oil, which the Green Party had sought before the election. A carbon levy was however introduced in the 2010 Budget. The 2008 budget did include a separate carbon budget announced by Gormley, which introduced new energy efficiency tax credit, a ban on incandescent bulbsIncandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
from January 2009, a tax scheme incentivising commuters' purchases of bicycles and a new scale of Vehicle Registration Tax
Vehicle Registration Tax
Vehicle registration tax or VRT is a tax that must be paid in Ireland when registering a motor vehicle.The tax is paid to the Revenue in two ways:*VRT is included in the retail price of a new motor vehicle purchased from a dealership...
based on carbon emissions.
Treaty of Lisbon
In 2007, the Green Party launched an internal debate on the party's stance on the Treaty of LisbonTreaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
. At a special convention on 19 January 2008 to consider whether or not to support what would become the Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, the party voted 63.5% in favour of supporting the Lisbon Treaty fell short of the party's two-third majority requirement for policy issues. As a result, the Green Party did not participate in the referendum debate, although individual members were involved on different sides
Following the Irish Government's negotiation with EU member states of additional legal guarantees and assurances, and the subsequent adoption by Dáil and Seanad Éireann of the Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill (2009), the Green Party held another special convention meeting in Dublin on 18 July 2009 to decide its position on the second Lisbon referendum. At the meeting precisely two thirds of party members present voted to campaign for a Yes in the referendum . This was the first time in the party's history that it campaigned in favour of a European treaty.
Resignations in 2010
In 2010, Déirdre de BúrcaDéirdre de Búrca
Déirdre de Búrca is a Green Party Irish politician and a former member of Seanad Éireann. She had represented the party on Wicklow County Council and Bray Town Council from 1999 to 2007 and in the Seanad from 2007 until her resignation from the parliamentary party in 2010.-Background:Born in...
, one of two Green Party Senators nominated by Taoiseach
Nominated by the Taoiseach
The composition of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas of Ireland, is defined in outline by Article 18 of the Constitution of Ireland, which provides for 11 appointees that are nominated by the Taoiseach...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
in 2007, resigned from the party and her seat, in part due to Gormley's inability to secure her a job in the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. On 23 February 2010, Trevor Sargent
Trevor Sargent
Trevor Sargent is an Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency from 1992 to 2011...
, one of six Green Party TDs, and former leader of the party from 2001 to 2007, resigned as Minister of State for Food and Horticulture
Minister of State (with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture)
The Minister of State for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of the Government of Ireland...
due to allegations over contacting Gardaí about a criminal case involving a constituent.
Withdrawal from Government
On 23 January 2011, the Green Party met with TaoiseachTaoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
following his resignation as leader of coalition partner Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
the previous afternoon. The Green Party then announced it was withdrawing from governing the country and took its place on the opposition benches with immediate effect. Green Party leader John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
said at a press conference announcing the withdrawal: The party had two ministers: Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
. These were reassigned to Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
ministers Éamon Ó Cuív
Éamon Ó Cuív
Éamon Ó Cuív is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann.-Early life:...
and Pat Carey
Pat Carey
Pat Carey is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North West constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs from 2010–11, and also as Government Chief Whip from 2008–10.-Early and private life:Carey...
respectively. Green Ministers of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
Ciarán Cuffe
Ciarán Cuffe
Ciarán Cuffe is an Irish Green Party politician, an architect and a lecturer in planning. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister of State for Horticulture; Sustainable Travel; and Planning and Heritage from 2010 to 2011.-Background:Born...
and Mary White
Mary White (Green Party politician)
Mary White is an Irish Green Party politician. She was a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2007 to 2011, and served as a Minister of State from 2010 to 2011.-Early and personal life:...
also resigned from their roles.
Government record
In almost four years in Government, from 2007–2011, the party were said to have succeeded in, among other areas, the passage of civil partnership legislation granting significant rights to same-sex couplesSame-sex relationship
A same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...
, the introduction of major planning reform, a major increase in renewable energy output, and a nationwide scheme of home insulation retrofitting.
2011 elections
The party suffered a wipeout at the 2011 general election in the Republic, with all of its six TDs losing their seats, including those of former Ministers John GormleyJohn Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
and Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
. Three out of their six incumbent TDs lost their deposits. The party's share of the vote fell below 2%, meaning that they could not reclaim election expenses, and their lack of parliamentary representation led to the ending of state funding for the party. This financial crisis makes it likely that the Greens will be forced to close their Dublin office and make "some if not all" of their staff redundant.
The candidates in the 2011 Seanad election were Dan Boyle and Niall Ó Brolcháin, but neither were elected, and as a result for the first time since 1989, the Greens have no representatives in the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
.
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
was elected as party leader on 27 May 2011, succeeding John Gormley.
General election results in the Republic of Ireland
| Election | Dáil | Share of votes | Seats | Outcome of election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 Irish general election, 1987 The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in... |
25th Members of the 25th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 25th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1987 general election on 17 February 1987 and met on 10 March 1987. The 25th Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... |
0.4% | 0 | Fianna Fáil government |
| 1989 Irish general election, 1989 The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June... |
26th Members of the 26th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 26th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1989 general election on 15 June 1989 and met on 29 June 1989. The 26th Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... |
1.5% | 1 | Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats government |
| 1992 Irish general election, 1992 The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993... |
27th Members of the 27th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 27th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1992 general election on 25 November 1992 and met on 4 January 1993. The 27th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary Robinson, at the request of the... |
1.4% | 1 | Fianna Fáil–Labour Party |
| 1997 Irish general election, 1997 The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... |
28th Members of the 28th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 28th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1997 general election on 6 June 1997 and met on 26 June 1997. The 28th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the... |
2.8% | 2 | Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats government |
| 2002 Irish general election, 2002 The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern... |
29th Members of the 29th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 29th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2002 general election on 17 May 2002 and met on 6 June 2002. The 29th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach... |
3.8% | 6 | Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats government |
| 2007 | 30th Members of the 30th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 30th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2007 general election on 24 May 2007 and met on 14 June 2007. The 30th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the... |
4.7% | 6 | Fianna Fáil–Green Party–Progressive Democrats government |
| 2011 | 31st Members of the 31st Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011 and met at midday on 9 March 2011... |
1.8% | 0 | Fine Gael–Labour Party government |
In December 1994, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left entered into government without a general election being called.
See also
- :Category:Green Party (Ireland) politicians
- Green party
- Green politicsGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
- Young GreensYoung Greens (Ireland)The Young Greens is the youth organisation of the Irish Green Party, incorporating the Green Party in Northern Ireland.-History:The Young Greens were formed in March 2002, as a group of students from the four main college campuses, which focused on the environment and social justice...
- List of environmental organizations
- List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland