Programme For Government

 Partly due to the Covid19 crisis, it took a record time to form a government, from the general election in February to the formation of the three-party coalition in June. Going into government posed a huge dilemma for the Green Party members: would they enter government and, almost certainly, fail to keep to all their manifesto promises or would they join and be in a position to exert as much pressure as possible on the other two, less environmentally conscious, parties. Now, being in power, there is definitely a stronger green agenda than there would otherwise have been, including commitments to: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% annually; ban the importation of fracked gas; improve public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure; introduce a Climate Action (Amendment) Bill within 100 days of the new Dail; increase carbon tax to €100 per tonne by 2030. Perhaps now is a good time to introduce more sustainable living practices and establish green companies while the economy, so devastated by the pandemic, is being re-booted. This approach should benefit all members of society.