The Green Party faces significant challenges in terms of funding, organisation and a restoration of public confidence. Having entered government with Fianna Fáil in 2007 and presided over the collapse of the construction and banking sectors, it bore the brunt of public anger and lost all six Dáil seats. Since then, the party has regrouped and won 12 council seats in 2014. That partial recovery was evident at its annual conference in Kilkenny when delegates met in an upbeat mood; new policies were unveiled and preparations were made for the coming general election.
A local public banking system, similar to the German model, was the big idea at the conference. It would, according to party leader Eamon Ryan, provide necessary funding for small local businesses and the Department of Finance was conducting a feasibility study. Domestic issues, such as support for the referendum on same-sex marriage, the need for additional housing and protection of the environment were key concerns. International issues, like global warming and climate change, received cursory attention from like-minded delegates.
Rebuilding a political party within a system of proportional representation requires deft footwork. Transfers are crucial in marginal constituencies. In that context, Mr Ryan declined to rule out co-operation with any political party after the election. In the meantime, he must raise his and the party's profile. At present, he attracts a personal satisfaction rating of only 13 per cent and half of the electorate has no opinion about his performance. Competition between the smaller parties and groups of Independents has become particularly fierce. As the election approaches, voters are beginning to discriminate. Support for strictly Independent candidates has fallen while groups identified as "Other", including the Green Party, Renua and the Socialist Party, have increased. There is, however, no certainty they will breach the figure of 2 per cent support and qualify for State funding. For the Green Party, that would represent a major advance.