Ireland: Senior Green Party member Patricia McKenna lashes party leadership as councillor Chris O’Leary resigns

As the 2009 Local Elections approach internal tensions within the Green Party are once more coming to the boil. There is nothing better than an election to concentrate the minds of local councillors. No better people to sniff the political wind. Today Cork City Council councillor Chris O’Leary resigned from the party in protest over its role in Government. Cllr O’Leary will contest the local elections in June as an Independent.

Dublin City Council member Bronwen Maher said today that she was "Very unhappy" and was reviewing her position. Speaking on Newstalk radio, she said:

“I have been very unhappy and I am reviewing my position. There’s a lot of concern in the Green Party that we’re not achieving in government. We’ve been there for eighteen months, now, what have we achieved?”

There is strong speculation that she will announce her resignation at a news conference tomorrow.
Meanwhile former MEP and member of the party’s national executive Patricia McKenna -no fan of the coalition deal with FF- has attacked the leadership. She claims that the leadership wishes to maintain the coalition arrangement with FF irrespective of the cost. McKenna is regarded as the conscience of the party and carries a heavy political clout. It is an open secret that the party leadership has been unhappy with McKenna who adopted an anti coalition stance.

U-turns on the use of Shannon Airport by the US Military, the co-location of private hospitals on the grounds of public hospitals, the destruction of the Tara Valley and on incineration had already begun to demoralise the grassroots of the party. Cutbacks in health and education have further sapped morale. The party has achieved precious little in government. With further massive cut backs in the offing it is highly likely that many branch members will resign or will just melt away.

The Green Party is essentially a campaigning party- more suited to opposition than government. Much of its support is anti establishment. There is massive tension between the Realos (pragmatists) and the Fundis who are idealists and are prepared to cling to fundamental principles at all costs.
The internal contradictions within the party appear insuperable.

The Green Party is now trapped. If Green Ministers-John Gormley and Eamon Ryan- turn chicken and cut and run, their credibility is shattered. On the other hand continued participation in government may cripple the party organization. The Green ship now sails for the rocks of political destruction.
Meanwhile opposition parties such as FG and Labour prepare to hoover up disillusioned Green votes.

Ireland-Has the Green Party a raison d'etre?

According to The Irish Independent GREEN Party Senator Dan Boyle has revealed that he came "close to losing his mind" in the tough negotiations with Fianna Fail.


He also said that Transport Minister Noel Dempsey provided the biggest "angry moment" of the entire eight days of negotiations to form a new government...

The Green Party is now a toothless tiger trapped in a coalition with FF and the PDs. It has little or no political leverage. The Government has sufficient support in the Dail to function without the Greens. Their main role will be to act as FF's mudguard for unpopular decisions. It was a major tactical blunder to enter coalition. FF negotiators completely outfoxed the Greens.

Core principles have been consigned to the dustbin of history. Co-location was accepted without a whimper. Greens in opposition have campaigned against the use of Shannon by the US military. This opposition melted in the negotiations with FF. Dublin City Council has signed a contract for the construction and operation of the Poolbeg incinerator under terms guaranteeing that a certain amount of waste will be burned there annually. John Gormley and Ciaran Cuffe have criticised this decision. This is a very weak and useless response.

The Greens have lost out on the M3. Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan has now stated that he will be backing a yes vote in next year's referendum on the new EU treaty. This may result in serious infighting. Has the party got any core principles? Has it got a raison d'etre?

It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that a split will ensue and that Patricia McKenna could lead a new Green party. FG and Labour can now hoover up disillusioned Green votes.
Quite frankly I cannot understand how Dan Boyle recommended the agreement with FF.

Ireland-Why FG is consistent on Shannon to Heathrow issue

When the Government decided to part privatize Aer Lingus it justified its decision on the basis that the national interest would be protected by the retention of a 25% shareholding. It is in the national interest that the Aer Lingus maintains the Shannon to Heathrow route. So there is no contradiction in FG's stance of opposition to the Aer Lingus decision to axe the Shannon to Heathrow route. It is now calling on the Government to use the 25% shareholding in the national interest as was promised at privatisation. Multinational Companies, tourist interests and the general public in the Mid West are up in arms over this. These groups are not card carrying Socialists.

IF Aer Lingus were a fully privatized company and if FG voted for full privatisation then FG could not justify any attempted state interference. The State is still a large shareholder so it is as entitled as any other shareholder to defend its interests. A certain bogus orthodoxy appears to have developed around this issue. It is claimed that this smacks of socialism. Not so. If the FF-PD-Green Party Coalition has no intention of using the 25% state shareholding in the national interest, it should sell it.

Aer Lingus rejects request for EGM

It is hardly surprising that the board of Aer Lingus has rejected a request from Ryanair to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders. It was never likely to provide a platform for its competitor and arch critic Michael O Leary. The Ryanair boss is unlikely to accept this decision without a fight.
Of course the Government itself with its 25% share holding could call an EGM. This will not happen as indications -from Government sources- are that the Government will not intervene to alter the commercial decisions of a private company.
Promises given prior to privatisation have been quietly binned. The retention by the Government of the 25% share holding was supposed to protect the national interest. In reality it was a sop to mollify opposition. The Government must now use the 25% shareholding or else sell it. FF-PD Governments have a strong record of selling the family silver.

Enda Kenny the Fine Gael leader said his party will fight to ensure there will be an ongoing air service between Shannon and Heathrow.
Government deputies from the Mid West face grave embarrassment in the Dail when the opposition puts down a motion calling on the Government to maintain the Shannon to Heathrow route. Willie O Dea's bluff will be called. Jackie Healy Rae will rave and rant and then vote with the coalition.
Put up or shut up time is rapidly approaching for government politicians.

Shannon to Heathrow issue-press release

A press release from the Department of Transport following a Cabinet meeting on the Shannon to Heathrow issue states:

"It was agreed that the Minister for Transport, on behalf of Government, would do all in his power to assist the Shannon Airport Authority to secure alternative London Heathrow services."

This means that the Government will not use its 25% share in Aer Lingus to save the Shannon-Heathrow route. It will vote to support the company's decision to axe the route. Over the last few days there have been judicious leaks from government sources geared towards softening up public opinion in the West and Mid West.

The newly-formed Atlantic Connectivity Alliance also sent a fact file to each minister detailing the implications to business and tourism.

A representative of the Alliance was interviewed on RTE News tonight. He sounded enthusiastic about the Government's attitude to the Mid West.

No wonder Noel Dempsey is not too worried. Representatives of the Alliance should spare their enthusiasm for concrete actions rather than woolly promises.

Others from the Mid West were not as enthusiastic and were quite critical.The Government appears to have neutered the opposition of the Atlantic Connectivity Alliance whilst there is no prospect of FF TDs in the Mid West voting en bloc against the Government.

A serious threat by the FF TDs in the Mid West to bring down the Government on the issue could achieve the desired result of restoring the Shannon to Heathrow route. The FF TDs in the Mid West are not serious. The Government knows this.

The score stands at FF 1 Mid West 0.