"The Green Parties of Europe met in Paris last month and agreed on a common approach to the crisis. That declaration ( http://europeangreens.eu/congress/?page_id=417 ) outlined a series of positions that the Taoiseach might now profitably adopt."
"Having got into difficulties because of failures in our own budget system, I do not see the legal requirement to apply an additional European layer of budget oversight as an onerous imposition. Indeed we could use this time of change to also delegate revenue raising and spending powers down to a more local and regional level. With that approach we could end up with a budget system that has greater rather than lesser local democratic accountability."
"One of the biggest risks this weekend is that we will end up with a two-speed Europe where our nearest neighbours would be cut off from us. This could bring immediate economic costs but it would also undermine the real strength of the European project which has come from decades of countries working together rather than fighting over their differences."
"A real problem with the Union has been the failure to strengthened its democratic structures in step with the increasing powers it has acquired. The intergovernmental approach that the French and German Governments took to the Euro crisis is clearly not the right way forward and neither is a purely technocratic approach from the Commission."
"If the result of this weekend is greater fiscal integration then we need to be honest and test that approach with our people. If the lack of democratic accountability has been the problem then the use of a referendum to agree treaty reform should not be seen as the worst possible outcome. While such a move would be difficult and could take time it might in the end restore the confidence that is needed in the Euro currency."
"The Green Party has traditionally held a minority view on European Union treaties. While other parties told the people to vote 'yes' in a series of referenda for fear of losing billions coming from Brussels, we did speak out about the inherent imbalances that could develop in the single currency union. At this time of crisis, when the mood is so sceptical about the whole European Union project, we now need politicians who will remind people of the long term benefits of the Union and who are willing to stand up for some democratic ideals."

Back to the future budget speech from Noonan, say Greens.

Commenting immediately after the Minister for Finance delivered his first budget speech, Green Party Finance spokesperson Mark Dearey has characterised it as “an old fashioned cave in to the big lobbies.”

"You look at winners and losers after any budget speech and definitely in the winners enclosure this time are rental and speculative property owners,” Dearey said, “the solid fuel sector, the pensions industry and a farming lobby that sees environmental responsibility as an afterthought"

Continuing, Dearey accused both Ministers Howlin and Noonan of piecemeal and ineffective measures that will do nothing to promote social cohesion and sustainable economic development.

"In the programme for government Fine Gael and Labour left themselves with few options by the nature of their commitments on income tax and welfare. With this budget they have now compounded the problem.

"At a time when radical solutions are possible and there is public appetite for change, the Government has flunked the chance to integrate welfare and tax codes, to deliver progressive and fair measures such as ending excesses in the pension tax relief scheme, and turning a blind eye to the unsustainable Section 23 tax break.

"So having looked after their sacred cows, Labour and Fine Gael have dropped a VAT bomb – a destructive hike of 2% that hits harder the less disposable income you have.

“As for putting Ireland back to work – it will be more like pricing Ireland out of work when combined by the effective increase in employer PRSI contributions announced today. Politics has taken primacy here and the economy and people will suffer as a result," Dearey concluded.

"It took the previous three budgets to clear out all the old property tax breaks but they are now back with a bang. Fine Gael and Labour don't have any sense as to how a new economy might evolve, instead the Construction Industry Federation is back at the helm."

"One announcement that fills me with fear if the statement that the Minister of Finance is going to take up emergency powers so he can issue directions to the NAMA board. The protection from political interference that was stitched into the NAMA legislation could now be circumvented by the new political committee that the Minister is going to give power over the agency."

"The regressive measures in motor taxation and household charges as well as the new property tax breaks are all the work of this Government and cannot be blamed on the Trokia or anyone else. Instead of following the independent advice that came from the Taxation Commission this Government seems to be taking their line from the traditional lobby groups. They have delivered a budget that Charlie Haughey or Bertie Ahern would have been proud of."

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said today "We knew the Government would have to make difficult budget cuts but thought they would show some strategic thinking in what they decided to protect or what they would to do differently. Instead their approach seems to be based on a series of compromises between the two Government parties whereby nothing radical is done and no new approaches are agreed."

"By hitting every sector rather than protecting certain services or spending money in a smarter way, the Government has shown they lack the strategic thinking we will need to get through this crisis."

"In similar circumstances the Green Party did protect spending in areas such as education and in fighting fuel poverty. Those areas are now facing significant cuts which shows up the lack of long term or Green thinking in this budget."

"For the first ten months the Government got away without having to make any real choices of their own. This budget shows they are still frozen by fear. Rather than anything new, each week sees them doing the very things they so vehemantly oppossed only one year ago. The dishonesty of that approach is now laid bare for all to see."

“The Case has real implications for the Irish Government who have been considering introducing legislation to allow for such monitoring of internet traffic. The Department of Enterprise signalled their intent to do so in response to a judgement from Justice Peter Charlton, in a case taken by the Music Rights Bodies against UPC Ireland.”

“Judge Peter Charlton cited Belgian legislation in support of his contention that the right to protect copyright should be held above the rights for privacy on the internet. Yesterday’s judgement called that legislation into question and should force the Government into a rethink on the new regulations they were planning.”

“The case also has implications for Eircom who have been put at a Commercial disadvantage with other ISPs as a result of an ‘out of court’ settlement they have already agreed with the Music Rights Bodies.”

“The arrangements are different to those in the case considered by the ECJ, in that it is the Music Rights Bodies who monitor and notify Eircom of instances of illegal file sharing. The company is then required to send a letter threatening customers with restrictions on their internet service. However, it is very hard to see how the Rights Bodies can claim that the ECJ ruling is a vindication of their approach. It is even more difficult to see how they will now be able to compel other ISPs to take similar measures.”

“What we need to do is take a different tack which protects both the right of the Musician to get properly paid for their work and at the same time recognise that there is a fundamental right to privacy on the internet that needs to be protected.”

“Eircom have already taken a step in the right direction with the introduction of their new Music Hub services. www.eircommusichub.ie

Other measures such as restricting advertising opportunities or search preferences for sites that are clearly designed to encourage illegal activity, could go a long way to supporting the music industry without restricting freedom on the net.”

“As a fast growing centre for internet business it is important for Ireland to get the regulation of the internet right. The ECJ ruling could not have come at a better time to insure that the Government stops and thinks again about what it is doing.”

The ECJ ruling is available at http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2011-11/cp110126en.pdf

For over two decades he was an intellectual cornerstone for the environmental movement in Ireland."

"He gave of his time freely and he was always willing to explain the complex concepts he was developing in the tolerant manner of a natural teacher."

"His creativity was most evident in the alternative money systems and carbon reduction schemes that he worked on with a wide variety of national and international collaborators.

He was never afraid to question the fundamental assumptions of economics and by doing so he was far more relevant and accurate than the vast ranks of conventional economists, who failed to see the real nature of what was happening in our world."

"At this difficult time in our country his wisdom and good humour in presenting an alternative economic analysis will be sadly missed. Our particular sympati h es are with Mary and his family and we mourn and share in their loss."

The loss of Richard Douthwaite leaves a huge gap in the Environmental Movement in Ireland.

He succeeds Dan Boyle in the position.

“I am delighted to be taking up this role at a crucial time for the Green Party. Since the General Election in February, the Party has been rebuilding and remodelling itself to operate effectively with much more limited resources. A key priority for me will be preparing the Party for the Local and European Elections in 2014. I believe that we can rebuild a strong Green presence at all political levels throughout the country”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

Roderic OÂ’Gorman was the sole candidate nominated for the position of Party Chair. His term of office begins on 2nd December and runs for two years.

“Recent developments such as the u-turn on climate change legislation, the cancelling of public transport projects and the ill judged referendum on Oireachtas Inquiries, show that while the other parties claim to have adopted the Green Party’s policies on the environment and reform, this has not genuinely happened. During the by-election campaign in Dublin West, many people told me on the doors they were disappointed that the Green perspective was now completely absent from the Dail. I am confident that over the next few years, we can demonstrate that our policies are essential in addressing the economic, social and environmental challenges that the country faces as we emerge from the recession”.

Ends

Further Information

EditorÂ’s Note

Roderic OÂ’Gorman is 29 and lives in Blanchardstown. He has run for the Green Party in a number of General Elections in the Dublin West constituency, and in Local Elections in the Castleknock-Blanchardstown ward of Fingal County Council. He has been a member of the Party since 2000, was a founding member of the Young Greens and has sat as Chairperson of National Council, the PartyÂ’s policy making body, for the last 18 months.

Roderic works as a lecturer and course director in Griffith College Dublin where he teaches EU Law and Constitutional Law. He recently completed a PhD examining Social Rights and Citizenship in the European Union.

2004: Local Election: 5.2%: 666 votes: 6th for 4 seats

2007: General Election: 3.78%: 1286 votes: 7th for 3 seats

2009: Local Election: 9.18%: 1238 votes: 5th for 4 seats

2011: General Election: 1.42%: 605 votes: 9th for 4 seats

2011: By-Election: 5.01%: 1787 votes: 6th for 1 seat

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said today. “The Government is getting it badly wrong by abandoning these critical infrastructure projects. Their decisions today will hinder our recovery by undermining our competitiveness and removing a stimulus for sustainable growth.”

The abandonment of the Metro and Rail Interconnector will insure that traffic in Dublin is going to gridlock as soon as our recovery comes. The M50 will not be able to cope with the inevitable consequence that will be the result of this short sighted decision. How can we attract new business to the country when our basic services don’t work. The lack of joined up thinking will see us build a National Children's Hospital with no proper public transport link”

“The Government argues that the money is simply not available but the four year budget plan put in place earlier this year included funding for the Metro. Even if that budget is constrained we could access external funding using the new Euro Project Bonds which are now being proposed in Brussels. The Government is also giving up on the funding that the European Investment Bank was willing to provide for the Metro. That funding was being provided because they knew the project made real economic sense”

At the very moment when we need this sort of lift for our economy we have the misfortune to have a Government with an ideological aversion to large public projects. Instead they are putting money into short term job creation projects that don’t bring the long term gains. What we are seeing is an old fashioned shift back to prioritizing spending on the road network. This strategy will not work for anyone. We need a proper public transport system to free up the existing road network for those who have to use their car.”

Rather than taking the harder political option of making further cuts in the Current Budget the Government has taken the easier short term option and slashed Capital spending. We are all going to pay for that mistake.

The truth is we cannot afford not start them now.

The Green Party is making its way back onto the Irish political stage with a double celebration of its 30th birthday in December.
The Party, which was established in 1981, will unveil its new Strategic Plan 2012 – 2016 followed by a jam-packed evening of music with some of Ireland’s best known musicians in Vicar Street on Sunday, December 11th.

The Strategic Plan has been developed following a period of regrouping, analysis and review with Green Party members. With the current Government backtracking on its commitment to the environment, climate change and sustainable energy, the Green leadership believes that there has never been a better time to present its alternative political vision.

Green Party Deputy Leader, Catherine Martin stated: “Our Strategic Plan sets out how we can achieve a more secure economy and just society for all the people. This means doing things differently, thinking more creatively and above all, putting people and quality of life at the centre of all our plans. The Party is fortunate to have a dedicated and loyal Party membership. The next steps in the recovery process are for us is to continue listening carefully to, connect with and tap into the goodwill towards us held by many who are not necessarily Party members.”
Catherine Martin also said that on the occasion of their 30th Anniversary, the Party was looking forward with optimism and hope and was renewing its commitment to securing a greener and safer environment for this generation and future generations. “We see Roderic O Gorman’s, fine performance in the recent Dublin West by election, where he tripled the Party’s share of the vote in that constituency since the general election earlier this year, as a further encouraging signal that we are moving in the right direction - we never said that the recovery would be easy but the members are definitely up for the challenge and early organisational progress is certainly being made,” she said.
Some of Ireland’s best-known musicians will be performing at the special anniversary concert including Dónal Lunny, who will have a rare musical reunion with Maighréad and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill. Also taking to the stage are Eleanor McEvoy, and Steve Wickham of The Waterboys and No Crows. Other artists performing on the night include Ciaran Tourish (Altan), Nick Kelly and Martin Hayes. The Vicar Street event will be chaired by guest MC Eamon Keane.”The Party is incredibly grateful to these gifted musicians for agreeing to play at our 30th Birthday concert as this calibre of talent will make it a very special and memorable evening.” concluded Catherine Martin who is chief organiser of the event.
Tickets for “Tríocha Bliain Ag Fás – A Musical Celebration “ are on sale for €28 (plus booking fee) from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7 pm on Sunday December 11.
For more information contact:
Catherine Martin, Deputy Leader, Green Party, Tel: 086-8710343
Alison Martin, Green Party Head Office, Tel 01-6790012
Edel Hackett, Tel: 087-2935207

This is the view of Green Party Co Councillor Malcolm Noonan. ‘Tesco’s market share in the irish retail sector is already adversely affecting the vibrancy of regional towns in Ireland and has directly contributed to job losses in independent, family owned business across the Country’ said Cllr Noonan.

‘This announcement, may in the short term be welcomed by consumers but I would agree with the Irish Pharmacies Union in that, it will ultimately have an adverse effect on the location of family owned pharmacies in small communities and villages in Ireland. This is socially detrimental to rural communities in particular and will disadvantage those with limited access to transport’ he said.

Cllr Noonan said that the experience of communities across the UK has led to conflict when planning applications for new Tesco stores are announced. Many people in the UK reject their ‘grab all’ philosophy, where Tesco effectively becomes the High St and leads to widespread dereliction and social problems in town centres. Cllr Noonan has campaigned against the power of retail multiples for many years and County Kilkenny now remains the only County inIreland without a Tesco presence.

‘I believe the Competition Authority and the Government should as a matter of urgency, undertake a study to examine the real effects of the expansion of non Irish owned retail multiples. They are damaging Irish towns, Irish farming and diminishing the fabric of community life. This announcement is in my view further evidence that their undue influence in the Irish retail market will only benefit their shareholders and do nothing to help Ireland’s economic recovery’ concluded Cllr Noonan.

ENDS

Cllr Malcolm Noonan

086 839 9418

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said today "The Government has given a clear signal that they dont really care about the issue of Climate Change. The main outcome of their strategic review on Climate change is a decision to conduct another review, ."
"As well as the moral bankruptcy in their approach, the Government have shown they don't understand the simple truth that cutting down on Greenhouse gas emissions is going to be good for our economy."

"At a time when energy prices are rising and every euro we spend on fossil fuels goes straight out of the country, it is madness not to cut out the wasteful use of energy which is costing us dear. We can go a long way to achieving our targets just by implementing efficiency measures. The new clean energy solutions that are being developed at the moment are also going to deliver the new jobs of the future."

"It is madness for the Government to be abandoning the big public transport and energy projects at a time when further deflation is the greatest threat to our recovery,. Spending in this area not only cuts out the carbon, it also provides the perfect stimulus to get our country going again. Despite the Government arguing that we cannot afford anything , these type of projects can be financed from private and European funding, without pushing us over our public borrowing limits "

"The Minister for the Environment is saying we should avoid reducing emmissions in the agriculture sector but his colleague and Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney said in May that the farming community had nothing to fear from climate legislation. We didn't know at the time, that their strategy would be to get rid of the legislation."

"By taking this stance Fine Gael and Labour are going against what just about every progressive Government and modern company is doing. Their attempt to pitch the argument as "climate versus competitiveness " just shows how blind they are to developing a new green economy, where we have a real competitive advantage."

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan reacts to the comments of the Taoiseach and the Minister of Finance on the full payment today of €700 million in Anglo Irish Bank Senior bonds

"By paying the bonds in full our Government is missing the opportunity not just to improve our budget position but to also demonstrate that the private sector is sharing in the losses made by this bank."

"The Government could have been honest and said they were caught between the desire not to pay the full amount and the risks associated with such a move. Instead we have a Taoiseach who says that he shares the public dismay at the cost and unfairness of the policy they are implementing. Reading his article you would think the Government has no responsibility for what they are actually doing."

"I know what it is like to be caught in the dilemma that the Govenrment now faces but I also know that the previous Governement set out in a systematic manner to ensure the State would be able to apply a haircut to the Anglo Bonds. One of the blocks to such a move was that the Senior bonds had the same legal status as deposits in the bank. In the final months of the last Government, we put in place the means by which the bank could be wound down and the Senior bonds could share some of the losses."

"Fine Gael and Labour went into the election seeking a mandate to apply such a haircut but they have done nothing since then to make it happen. Their immediate reaction is to blame everything on the bank guarantee or some other aspect of the previous Governemnt's banking policy. The reality is that these bonds are no longer guaranteed and from day one the new Government has followed the path set by Brian Lenihan in almost every single detail."

"The biggest risk in these difficult times is that the public loses confidence in our political system. The way this Government is spinning this banking story risks betraying the public trust. They would be better off either going for the haircut and face the risks involved or else saying they think it is wiser not to do so and explain why. Instead they are continuing to pretend they are still in opposition and at the mercy of someone elses decisions. This is not the time for such weak leadership."

Eamon Ryan said today. "On behalf of the Green Party/Comhaontas Glas I offer our warmest congratulations to Michael D Higgins on his election as President of Ireland"

"I am sure he will be a President who will do us proud both at home and abroad.

We offer our full support as he prepares to take up the highest office in our country. We hope he will use his Presidency to highlight the urgent environmental challenges that face us and the social and economic benefits that will come if we rise to meet those challenges. "

"We also commend the other six candidates for having survived with dignity, what was a very difficult campaign. We wish them luck with whatever future role they seek in our democratic system"

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said "We welcome the wider agreement that has been reached in Brussels overnight but want the Government to outline what provision has been made to improve our own debt dynamics as a result of the summit"

"This deal should provide us the opportunity to reduce payments on both the unguaranteed Anglo Senior Bonds and the ten year promissory notes that will have to be issued to cover bank losses. We also need to know what agreement exists with the ECB on their medium term funding support for the Irish banks."

"There are still a lot of deflationary forces holding back the Irish economy. If our recovery plan is to work we will need some growth in the next few years. We need a clear understanding with the European Central Bank that they are not relying exclusively on austerity plans in periphery countries to restore economic stability. Such a strategy is not going to work."

"There seems no doubt that proposals for greater fiscal union will have to be considered as part of the overall solution to this crisis. We should be able to adopt to that in a manner which benefits us in the long run. Our negotiation position should be strong because we have acted responsibly throughout the crisis."

"The biggest risk is that the process could be derailed if the Irish public felt that they are not being dealt with in a fair manner. The Taoiseach needs to make it clear what role he took in these latest negotiations, what he has achieved to date and what he hopes to get before the final elements of the deal are concluded."

Eamon Ryan

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan presented the answers to the ten questions the Green party had put to the Presidential candidates.

View responses here

"While a Presidential campaign is always going to be a test of character,the nature of this campaign has been unlike anything we have seen before. The emphasis has been on the negative and could leave you with the impression that you should not run for office if you are old or gay or express a faith or have ever been a member of a political party or have a chequered past of any sort. That would be a pity because this is a time when we need to encourage good people to become active in politics rather than scaring them off."
"We appreciate the response that we have recieved but regret the opportunity was not taken to present some more thought provoking replies. Perhaps that reluctance to say something different or controversial is why we have allowed a negative commentary to take hold around Politics."
"We will not be advocating support for an individual candidate on Thursday but would encourage every voter to get out and make their own decision. Doing so will mean they can also make their voice heard on the critical amendments proposed to our constitution."
Note: We are still awaiting the three remaining replies which we will add to the open document as soon as they become available.

Eamon Ryan

Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan today called for a no vote in the referendum on OIreachtas Inquiries

"At this time of real crisis and uncertainty we should be especially careful about protecting the fundamental constitutional rights and freedoms of our state. "

"Subsection four of the proposed amendment represents a radical change by giving the Government the power to decide between the rights of the individual and the public interest in future parliamentary inquiries. The accompanying draft legislation heightens such concerns as it proposes a 'trial by dail' process, where politicians effectively take on a judicial role."

"Such a breach in our separation of powers could be misused at any time in the future and would undermine public confidence in the political system itself. It is not credible that a future Government would avoid using the new powers of investigation for short term political advantage. It is not credible that members of a future investigation committee would avoid using the public hearings to play to the populist public gallery rather than to the wider national interest."

"The Government is citing international comparisons to justify their approach but the real lessons from abroad are the way in which such powers have had to be constrained because Congressional or Westminster hearings turned into deeply damaging show trials. If the Government wants to adopt International best practice they should look to Germany where the opposition are able to commission parliamentary inquiries. That would at least provide a valuable check on the powers and performance of the Government itself."

"The traditional tribunal process is clearly flawed and we do need the ability to conduct effective and inexpensive inquiries. However, the new Commission of Inquiry structure has brought real improvements, as was seen in the production of the Murphy and Nyberg reports. We should continue to strengthen that system rather than taking the route the Government is proposing which risks creating a crucible for political witch-hunts rather than proper public investigation. I hope the Irish people will use their right to vote no next Thursday in order to protect some of the other civil rights they should hold dear."

“As someone who teaches Constitutional Law, I’m deeply concerned with some aspects of the amendment being proposed by the Government. The reasoning behind this referendum is to overturn the ‘Abbeylara’ judgment of the Supreme Court in 2002. This decision put significant limitations on the type of inquiries that either House of the Oireachtas could undertake. While I agree that aspects of the Abbeylara decision need to be overturned, I will be voting No to this amendment, for a number of reasons”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

“Firstly, the new Art 15.10.4 is of major concern. It allows TDs or Senators to determine the procedural rights (right to hear evidence against you, right to question someone who gave evidence against you, right to respond) of persons before such inquiries. Unlike the law as it currently stands, the Courts’ power to intervene if TDs or Senators decide to limit individuals procedural rights has been significantly lessened”.

“Another problem is that the new Art 15.10.4 is extremely vague on how the TDs and Senators will decide what procedural rights individuals appearing before these inquiries receive. Will their rights be set out in legislation, or will these be devised by each separate committee of inquiry as they go along. If it is the latter, different people coming before different inquiries may end up with different rights. I am concerned that there is a risk that the standard of rights may vary accordingly to how politically controversial the issue before the inquiry is”.

“Finally, there has been virtually no debate on the implications of these changes. The degree of public attention focused on the Presidency has meant that these major alterations to the Constitution have not been brought to the public attention. The Government has promised a Constitutional Convention to look at the Constitution and see what articles need to be revised. A change as big as the one being proposed here, should be discussed in that forum”.

“Politicians should have the power to mount inquires, but we also need to acknowledge that politicians may use such inquiries for political gain. When we remove or limit the ability of the Courts to scrutinise the actions of the politicians undertaking these inquiries, we open the process up to abuse. I urge people to Vote No to the amendment on 27th October and let the Government refer the issue back to the Constitutional Convention it has committed to holding, for a more comprehensive debate”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Ends

Further Information

Roderic OÂ’Gorman: 087 417 9777

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan today called on the Government to make sure that Senior bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society share in some of the losses that are about to be provided for in the new European Banking rescue package.

“Last year we argued for a haircut on these bonds but were unable to get agreement from the European Central Bank for such an approach.”

“As the authorities now prepare for a further haircut on Greek Sovereign debt and to pump massive additional capital into the European banking system the argument that failing to pay the Anglo bonds would have a contagion effect no longer holds up.”

“Our case is also stronger because neither institution is now functioning as a bank. Last January we put through emergency legislation which allowed for the separation of bank deposits from Senior bonds in this type of situation. Prior to that, a haircut for one would legally require you to make the same cut to the other."

“We wish Michael Noonan well in his attempts to reduce the cost of the ten year promissory notes that will be issued to cover the losses in Anglo. However, that approach should not preclude him from arguing that the private sector should also bear some of the cost.”

“It is clear that the German and French Government will be looking for revisions to the Lisbon treaty as part of the long term solution to the Euro crisis. Our people will have to have to have confidence in the Union if they are to support any such changes. Action on the Anglo and INBS bondholders would do more than anything else to help garner such support."

"The Government has a month to negotiate whether we pay in full or not for these bonds. With support from across the political spectrum on what to do, they should have a strong hand to play.”

Roderic O'Gorman outlined his campaign priorities of Job Creation, Education and Political Reform on the Tonight with Vincent Browne show on TV3 on 3rd October.

Ryan said "I regret that we do not have a Green candidate in the Presidential election but I hope the replies we receive will help our supporters in deciding who they are going to vote for."

"By asking some simple straight questions we want to give each candidate the chance to set out how they would approach the office and what they see as the future direction of our country. More than anything else we want to know what are their achievements, failings, fears and hopes for the future."

"We have asked each candidate to be as brief as possible as we intend posting all the replies on the Green Party website. Using a comparative display of each reply we hope to highlight which candidate is most able to be brief and honest and still have something of interest to say. "

Ten Questions For The Presidential Candidates

1. Subject to the constitution what additional powers or functions might you like to see given to the office?
2. What specific expertise and skills would you like to include within the Council of State?
3. Cad é an fís atá agat maidir le úsáid na gaeilge in oifig an Uachtaráin?
4. How do you expect the desire for national Unity set out in Article 3.1 of the constitution might best be achieved?
5. Do you think we will see greater or lesser integration for our country with other members of the European Union and what form do you expect such change to take?
6. What do you consider your greatest achievement and greatest failing to date?
7. In what way do you consider yourself a Green?
8. What are the most important elements we are ignoring in our national discourse?
9. At the 2016 celebrations, what do you wish will be true of Ireland?
10. What is your greatest fear and hope for the future?