The Green Party has rejected a motion calling for a debate on its future in Government at its national conference in Wexford today.
The motion was proposed by the Dublin Mid West TD Paul Gogarty who said he wanted a special conference to be held in April of next year, which would vote on the party’s continued participation in Government.
An amendment from the Galway Greens, saying that the special convention should be held in May of this year was also voted down by delegates.
Mr Gogarty said that he did not want a special convention to be held this year in advance of the local elections. He also said that if the Greens questioned their future in government at this moment of time, it would have damaging implications for Ireland's image on the global markets. The motion primarily focused on education, but also referred to other areas "relating to the performance of the party in Government that members are not satisfied with".
However, strong views were expressed on both sides. Martin Hogan and Cllr Tom Kivlehan both argued that it was only in Government that the party cold make a difference and if there was a general election, there could be no guarantee that it would return to government.
Former MEP Patricia McKenna, the leading critic of the party entering government, also spoke against the motion. She signalled that an election at this moment in time would be divisive and expressed a preference for a government of national unity.
In the morning session, two motions advocating a national government failed to be adopted by the party. Speakers against the motion argued that such a government would lessen the influence of the Greens in government as the party would lose one minister.
However, the second motion calling on the leadership to consider the merits of such a government won narrow approval from 55 per cent of delegates. But the party's constitution says requires two-thirds approval before measures can be adopted.
In his speech to delegates the party chairman Dan Boyle contended that bankers guilty of white collar crime should be imprisoned to restore confidence in the banking system. He also called on those people who are currently the subject of garda or State investigations to have all of their payments suspended. In addition, Mr Boyle called for a clear-out of personnel associated with the scandals.
"There should be no hangers-on from a system that has failed so miserably, and those under investigation should have any payments suspended until investigations into their actions are completed."
The Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan said he would focus on reforming planning to accelerate the development of renewable energy as a means of boosting the economy. He also said that he would ensure that public transport projects such as the metro and Dublin's underground interconnector (linking all the major transport hubs) would be protected from cut-backs.
In a new initiative, Mr Ryan also disclosed that he would ensure that nobody was placed in jail for non payment of a licence fee. He said that last year 54 people went to prison for not paying TV licence fees. He said it cost €90,000 for each prison place each year.
He said that the party had seen the crisis coming before other political parties. Mr Ryan also insisted it had the best solutions.
"We're the party whose economic policy avoids boom and bust, while still rewarrding enterpreneurship and hard work. We're the party whose polciy of sustainable development will plot our path to recovery," he said.
Elsewhere, deputy leader Mary White's proposal for a 1c tax on every tax encountered opposition from Dublin City councillor Tony McDermott who said the tax would hit the young, the vulnerable and the less well-off.
