Sir, – I am convinced that Green Party members who want to take action on climate change will, like myself vote to enter government. It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness, indeed to hesitate to take action at this point in the headlong rush towards irreversible climate change is to twitter while the planet burns.
Ireland can be at the forefront the European green deal. Change is mandated by the EU, and Greens need to own the programme for government which has their fingerprints all over it.
Of course people do have serious concerns regarding implementation and this needs to be a priority.
Here Green TDs will have the resources of European Green expertise to draw on, together with advice from eminent scientists such as Prof John Sweeney, who, while describing the proposed measures as sound, has warned that they are aspirational. However, without Greens in government, they will not even be policy objectives and the opportunity will be lost.
This is a time of crisis for our island, and the crisis brings opportunity also to address health, housing and justice issues as never before. Greens would be very foolish to whinge on the sidelines instead of playing on the field. Indeed we all have skin in this game and we all need to play our part. – Yours, etc,
NUALA AHERN,
Green MEP Leinster
(1994-2004),
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – I didn’t get past the introduction to the programme for government before being tripped up with this statement: “Not everything will be achieved within the lifetime of this government”.
Three parties, three founts of wisdom and efficiency, can’t promise to achieve relatively modest aims in the expected “lifetime of this government ”. How long are they hoping to last? And what’s the point of making promises if you start by admitting that you may not achieve your goals? Is this a forewarning of failure?
– Yours, etc,
SHEILA DEEGAN,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – In his opinion piece (“Fingerprint of North’s Greens all over coalition deal”, June 18th), Newton Emerson asserts “A coalition deal must pass by a two-thirds majority of the [Green] party’s membership and Northern members are a third of the total, making their verdict decisive”.
Would someone explain to me why it is either good or democratic that the fate of government formation in the Republic is in part dependent on the votes of people who are not bound by its laws or pay taxes to its exchequer? – Yours, etc,
KENNETH HARPER,
Burtonport,
Co Donegal.