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LAST UPDATE | 11 Jan
RODERIC O’GORMAN, THE Green Party’s leader and sole remaining TD, has said the general election was “hugely disappointing”, but the party will rebuild.
Speaking at the Greens’ annual conference in Dublin today, O’Gorman said the meeting provided an “opportunity to regroup, to reflect and to plan our next steps”.
November’s election was a massive blow for the Green Party. After winning 12 seats in the 2020 election, its best ever result, it only managed to keep one seat in 2024.
O’Gorman told delegates in Castleknock the Green Party had “a very successful period in government” but “despite what we’ve achieved, no one here this afternoon is under any illusion about the scale of the loss that we suffered in November”.
It was a very hard day for our party, and it was an incredibly difficult day personally for so many people here.
Despite the “challenge that lies ahead”, O’Gorman said the party also has “good reason to be optimistic”.
He encouraged members to vote for Green candidates in the upcoming Seanad election, namely Malcolm Noonan, Hazel Chu and Ossian Smyth.
In his speech, O’Gorman also sounded an alarm about the incoming government. He noted that, during the election campaign, he voiced his worries “about what a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael government propped up by independents would look like in terms of policy”.
The Dublin West TD said, according to recent briefings in the media, the incoming government looks set to prioritise local road projects over “large public transport projects of national importance”.
He said Climate Action will likely be “watered down” if the incoming government is “instead focused on implementing a patchwork of local deals, rather than looking out for the national interest”.
Speaking to The Journal ahead of today’s conference, O’Gorman said party members are “extremely disappointed” with how the election turned out, but they are proud of what they achieved in government.
“People knew there was a risk going in [to government], and we’ve seen the consequences of that risk. I suppose people also see the fact that other centre-left parties have stepped away from talks.
“That was a point that we were making throughout, that the Greens are the party that is prepared to take the risk, to go into government, to deliver on these sort of policies,” he said.
Yesterday, the Social Democrats, who have all but walked away from the prospect of entering into government, released a statement saying there must be no watering down of climate action ambitions in the new programme for government.
What does O’Gorman make of such statements from the SocDems?
O’Gorman told The Journal ”the only place you can protect those sort of initiatives and indeed increase their ambition is in government”.
“I have a real worry about what a government supported by Independents are going to do. I think we’ve already heard the kind of briefings about cutting the budget from big public transport projects and moving it over to localised roads projects.
“I have a real nervousness about what the next government are going to do,” he added.
The Green Party still has an important role to play in Irish politics, he said, adding: “We’re in the Dáil, we’ll hopefully be in the Seanad, and we have strong councillors around the country.
“So, we have strong foundations and will rebuild the party from the ground up.
“We topped the poll in the locals across Dublin because people recognise the effectiveness of the Green Party at a local level. Someone will have to hold the next government to account on climate action and that someone is us.”
With reporting by Órla Ryan
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Marian, fertilisation has not occurred thus there are no products to abort…the MAP is a higher dose of a type of contraceptive pill. Is that abortion too?
Having an aul tug classed as mass genocide
It’s interesting that my post, that didn’t fit in with the sanitised version of events in relation to the morning after pill presented here, have been removed. I was used to that kind of supervision of free speech in China. I’m very disappointed in http://www.journal.ie.
Just for the record, Mark and others – ‘the fallopian tubes are the female reproductive organs where an egg is fertilized. The fallopian tubes nourish and carry the fertilized egg to the uterus.’ The morning after pill is designed to thicken the uterine wall and make it impossible for an already fertilised egg to implant and develop.
Sanitise your choices all you like. My comments are not based on any religious affiliation. A scientific physiological fact remains a scientific physiological fact – a fertilised egg is destroyed by the use of the morning after pill.
Marian, you need some education on the matter before you comment.
Why is taxpayers money spent on the pill?
trying too hard to be a troll mate. comes off as needy.
because the person can’t afford to buy it maybe?
Would you rather your tax pay for the morning after pill or years of children’s allowance David?
For some of these girls it’s the difference of being a single mother or being able to go onto higher education and earn a decent living, contributing to the exchequer instead of relying upon it.
Oh no wait. You would rather give it to the banks and Bondholders…
I agree David. Taxpayer money should not be spent on someone’s lifestyle choices.
Lifestyle choice, are you serious Luke. So unless you can afford it, people shouldn’t have sex. Anything else you want to take away from the people struggling. Before the morning after pill became available over the counter, it would cost €60 for your doctor visit and another €40 for the emergency contraceptive. Do you think some one on the dole could afford that. Or would you prefer them to risk it and another child be born into a low income family.
Sarah. Unless people can afford to, they shouldn’t have children. Why should the state pay for other people’s lifestyle choices? A lot of responsible people postpone having children because they simply cannot afford them but per usual in this country the reckless and irresponsible get looked after!
John your argument doesn’t really make sense in relation to this article because by going and being pro- active, people are being responsible and postponing having children whether it’s for financial or other reasons.
@ John F,
I think you’ll find that the Morning After Pill is to prevent a possible pregnancy so maybe those that take it are being responsible…..
@Sarah. You call taken the morning after pill being ‘pro-active’. Maybe if they were responsible enough in the first place, used contraception they wouldn’t need to take morning after pill? I think morning after pill will be abused as a method of contraception for the lazy!
Other forms of contraception don’t always work. There are many other reasons for seeking emergency contraceptive, besides laziness. I’m not saying that factor may be there but in the smallest minority. Don’t paint everyone with the same brush John.
@Sarah. Fair enough but you mentioned earlier that the morning after pill costs €40 and you also suggested that it should be given to people on the dole for free? If it were free it would be used irresponsibly and as a substitue for contraception, leaving aside the massive costs to the exchequer there are also serious health implications of abusing this drug!
@john f…must be great up there on your high horse…never hear of a condom splitting?
@siobeli. Every hear of Double contraception? Using the pill on its own is not fool proof, missed timed doses, stomach bugs? And condoms are by no means perfect either, they occasionaly rip as you mentioned. Using both methods is far superior, help prevent unwanted pregnancy and STIs !
I didn’t suggest that it should be free, it is free with a medical card, once you have a prescription from your doctor. Which is why I think laziness is only the minorities reason for using the morning after pill. If you want to receive it on your medical card you first have to visit your doctor who monitors if you’ve had it before. As far as I know most doctors will not prescribe it more than three times. @John is it that emergency contraception is available on the medical care that you have a problem or that it is available at all. The reason why I talked about people who are receiving the dole, because unfortunately that is one of the few ways to receive a medical card anymore.
@johnf…you may not be aware that the pill, ‘the contraceptive bar and other chemical contraceptions often don’t suit women due to other health issues. You can be in a long term relationship and a condom can split, or have a one night stand and it can split. There is a perception that the morning after pill is only used by young women who were out drinking etc. it is used by women of all ages and circumstances.
@John F, there are more side effects associated with the morning after pill than just not becoming pregnant and is not something that one typically takes likely…
friend of mine got the morning after pill after she got food poisoning and was afraid she threw up her pill, how is that irresponsible??
@John F “Why should the state pay for other people’s lifestyle choices?”
Why is taxpayer’s money spent on viagra? If a fella can’t get it up, why should I pay for him to get his jollies?
Why is it spent on oxygen tanks for emphysema sufferers? If you’ve smoked for years, it’s your own fault!
Why is it spent on bypass surgery for people who’ve clogged their arteries due to eating crap for years? Should have laid off the pies, Fatty!
I hope you never face anyone as judgemental as you in a doctor’s surgery.
Marian …are you for real !!!!
Marian, I think you need to go back to church and say a few hail Mary’s for all the sinners of Ireland.
The fornicators will be looking for condoms to be legalised next…
The ignorance of some posters on this article makes me laugh.
is Marian, Margaret Hayes in disguise!?!
@marian…If conception has occurred the morning after pill will NOT work… The reason it is recommended to be taken within 24 hours is that it prevents the sperm engaging with the egg. Any time after this lessens the ability of this.
This is scientific fact.
Why isn’t there a morning before pill? Make it a fraction of the price. Give to the fella. He fires blanks for a day. Every fella should take it going out for the night.
You are either a troll or extremely lacking in intelligence.
I guess some people aren’t so anti abortion that they actually want to spend money on something which will prevent abortion. Anti abortion, pro shaming?
Personal comments against me – a non-religious person, are pointless and a little predictable on this site when people don’t like what is said. I think you call it ‘trolling’ for want of a better word. However, the scientific fact remains, that the morning after pill is designed to ensure that if conception has occured, it is ‘nipped in the bud’
Our Anti-natalist government in practice!
Marian check your facts! You sound intelligent, maybe have a read about the morning after pill! It works by delaying ovulation. If fertilisation has already occurred, IT WILL NOT WORK. Are u thinking of the mirena? This works a number of ways one being that in the unlikely chance an egg gets fertilised (unlikely as it stops this in other ways) then it cannot attach to uterus. I worked in a pharmaceutical making various contraceptives for 10 years.
Sorry for repost, damn iPhone!!
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