WITH ANOTHER leading Green planning to resign today, the party’s former MEP Patricia McKenna said the party was now in free fall and she accused the leadership of being in denial.
Cllr Bronwen Maher, from Dublin, will today become the latest Green councillor to announce her resignation from the party in protest at its continued participation in government with Fianna Fáil.
It comes the day after Cork city councillor Chris O’Leary announced that he was leaving because of a “stay-in-government-at-all-costs” agenda.
In response to Mr O’Leary’s departure yesterday, Green Party TD Mary White insisted that the Green Party could most effectively implement its policies in government. “As long as we are advancing our policies we must stay the course, but, as my party leader John Gormley has said, we are not in government for the sake of being there, and if we are not advancing our aims, then we must, and we will, think again.”
Ms McKenna said she was shocked at the “cavalier attitude” displayed by the party hierarchy towards the departure of the party’s most important elected representative in the Munster region.
“Our party is in free fall and they appear to be in complete denial. Chris O’Leary’s resignation would not have happened if the party had admitted to its failings in government and had made a commitment to return to its true values,” said Ms McKenna.
Both Cllrs Maher and O’Leary intend to contest the forthcoming local elections as Independent candidates.
Ms Maher, a party member for 20 years, expressed her unease at the party’s decision to enter government in 2007 and at the direction taken by the leadership since.
She accused the leadership of unethical conduct for issuing an instruction to Green councillors that their ballot papers be inspected to ensure they voted for Fianna Fáil Seanad candidates.
She was also critical of the leadership’s silence following the evidence of Gráinne Carruth to the Mahon tribunal.
Last year she again criticised the leadership for its failure to speak out following Budget cuts affecting medical cards for the elderly and education.
She claimed recently that the distinctive policy role of the Green Party in Irish society was being eroded.
Ms Maher was elected to Dublin City Council for the Clontarf ward in 2004 and was elected deputy lord mayor in 2005.
Yesterday one of the most senior party figures in Munster, Cllr Chris O’Leary, the only Green on Cork City Council, announced he was leaving.
“It is with deep regret that I must announce my resignation from the Green Party. I have been left with no other option, having failed to obtain assurances from the party of its willingness to pursue a sea change in government policy,” he said.
Mr O’Leary added that in the past he had placed on record his disquiet about the policies being pursued by the Green Party.
He said that since the Green Party entered government with Fianna Fáil, his position on certain issues together with his public comments on social justice issue had left him more and more out of tune and isolated within the Green Party as it followed a “stay-in-government-at-all-costs” agenda.
In response, Ms White said she was disappointed that Mr O’Leary had announced his resignation but added that it was not unexpected.
“He has always had strong doubts about our participation in government. He made these views known at the many meetings and discussions which we hold on a regular basis for councillors and all of our members.
“I also understand there were also other personal and local reasons behind his decision. At the time he decided to quit, these were being dealt with by an independent mediator,” said Ms White.