The Greens have failed us

A spate of resignations have occurred in Irish politics since the end of last year. John O’Donoghue, George Lee, Deirdre deBurca and, most recently, Trevor Sargent have all departed their positions for a variety of reasons.

Ms dB has left the Green Party to follow another, as yet unknown, path in life. She has made known her disgust at the way the Greens have behaved since getting hitched to Fianna Fail. But this has done nothing to upset party leader John Gormley who clings to power like a limpet on a rock.

There has been an exodus from Ireland’s chief environmental political party and this may continue. The Greens in government have become ‘window dressing’ for Fianna Fail. Backbenchers from the senior government party must be livid with the way their leadership have contorted themselves to accept Monsignor (sic) Gormley’s every whim.

Indeed the Greens have really pushed their luck since entering government and at times this can be nauseating. Gormley and fellow Green minister Eamonn Ryan are in turn arrogant and star struck about their new-found power. While Brian Cowen and his party colleagues are working overtime to sort out economic matters, the Greens are concentrating on rotating ministerial jobs between them. Well, wouldn’t you manipulate the system too if you could?

So viewers, while you are juggling your daily problems: childcare, losing your job, paying a mortgage, getting credit for your business, laying off staff etc, spare a thought for the Greens and their problems. These guys are clearly more concerned with remaining in office and are happy to let FF take the heat. You see it’s taxpayers money that keeps our Greens where they are today. They love the trappings associated with high office and are determined not to relinquish them.

In the UK the Labour government look certain to be prised out of power by the voters in a few weeks time. The same may be true of Ireland’s Greens when the time comes for a general election here. They have frittered away any credibility they had and are now firmly part of the establishment.

The FD has never been a great fan of Patricia McKenna (former Green MEP), but she and her fellow Green dissidents have done the country a great service by resigning from the party. They’ve displayed far more sincerity in leaving than her former colleagues who are now ensconced in office.

John, Eamonn and co will continue to get their long holiday breaks and be paid well while all our hard workers (what’s left of them) struggle to stay afloat. Hopefully the voters will punish Gormley and his bunch of upstarts when they next ask the voters to keep them in splendour. Just like the PD’s before them, the Greens are living on borrowed time. Political oblivion beckons and it can’t come quickly enough.