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A war of words has broken out between the Green Party and Fine Gael over emissions targets.
While the Green Party is still mulling over Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s offer of government training, Deputy Director Catherine Martin has come out against Tánaiste Simon Coveney’s comments in today’s Irish Examiner.
Coveney told the Examiner that the Green Party red line of a 7% emission reduction would have to be forgotten if it hurts farmers.
Mr. Coveney said: “I am not going to take farmers out of business.
“Nothing has been effectively ruled out. But, there are some things you just can’t say yes to without knowing how it’s going to be done, “he said.
“If you tithe rural Ireland, we won’t.”
“Let’s be very clear about it, we are not going to subscribe to a government program that decimates rural Ireland. That will never happen, even if it means another election,” he said.
Ms Martin appeared on RTE’s Sean O’Rourke today, saying she found Mr. Coveney’s comments “quite shocking.”
“This is not 7% of the Green Party, this objective comes from the Paris Agreement, unless we reduce by 7% we face catastrophic damage on the planet.”
It was Fine Gael who signed this, it is disturbing, the alarms sound.
“The alarm bells are also ringing about their positions on public housing, direct provision and key social issues.”
Discussing Fine Gael Dublin South-West TD Colm Brophy’s goal on the goal, Martin said his party was being insincere on the matter, which has already been debated at a Citizens Assembly and recommended by a Committee of Oireachtas.
Ms. Martin said Coveney was “playing with her voters.”
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael know exactly what to do, they just don’t want to do it,” said Martin.
“Tánaiste’s intervention today is not useful, it is the beginning of a negative frame of what can only be a better quality of life.
It is about doing the right thing, we have to change the way we do public transport, they would not commit to that, it is about working remotely, it is about changing the costs of congestion, costing from 350 million euros a year o stop importing € 6 billion a year of fossil fuel imports.
“It’s hard to believe you don’t know.
“Commit to 7% and then we’ll talk, commit to 7%.
“Let’s be honest, we had farmers protesting on the streets for the past six months, they have more to fear from Fine Gael than from the Green Party, they were protesting against Fine Gael, not against the Greens.”
Ms. Martin said her party “is not an opposition party” and is really considering joining the government, but made it clear that Coveney and Brophy’s remarks would be a setback.
The Green Party will meet again this afternoon for a third day of discussions on the letter from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in which they set out responses to 17 of the Green Party’s questions about their priorities for the government.
Ms. Martin says she remains open-minded, but added that Coveney’s comments are likely to cause unease within the parliamentary party and the broader membership of the Greens, who have already expressed concern about joining the government.
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