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Green Party leader – a vote for continuity?

Will O’Gorman’s victory herald a change in tone?

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.
Wed Jul 10 2024 - 00:12

Sir, – The new leader of the Green Party, Roderic O’Gorman, is a lucky general. He has got the best possible start to his tenureship with the welcome news that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 6.8 per cent last year, with reductions achieved in almost all sectors (“Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 reach lowest level in three decades”, July 9th). Your view that the new leader is a “vote for continuity, not change” is therefore apt (“The Irish Times view on the new Green Party leader: a vote for continuity, not change”, July 9th). It remains to be seen, however, if the Green Party’s Coalition partners think the same way and are willing to risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak, at the next general election in favour of more populist, less environmentally friendly measures. – Is mise,

TOM McELLIGOTT,

Listowel,

Co Kerry.

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Sir, – I’m happy to hear that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 6.8 per cent last year. I think it is no coincidence that the Green Party got a 6.8 per cent share of the national vote at the last election. I have no doubt that a 10 per cent Green Party share at the upcoming election would signal a similar greenhouse gas reduction in the following years. – Yours, etc,

JA O’GRADY,

Dublin 6W.

Sir, – Two things strike me from the result of the Green Party leadership election (“Roderic O’Gorman ‘deeply humbled’ after being elected new leader of the Green Party”, News, July 8th). Only 55 per cent of party members could be bothered to vote in an online poll – no stamp cost needed and voting could be done even if you were on holiday. This despite the fact the leader has real power and influence, sitting alongside the Taoiseach and Tánaiste at the top of the Coalition. So much for a passionate embrace of climate change issues.

Of the 3,425 eligible voting members, 600 live in Northern Ireland. We are not told the turnout among them but, given Mr O’Gorman’s slim 72 vote majority over Senator Pippa Hackett, was the “number three” person in our Government elected by people outside the State? – Is mise,

KENNETH HARPER,

Burtonport,

Co Donegal.

Sir, – Whether we like it or not, the Green Party is the entity which has done most to drive climate change and environmental sustainability agendas – both very critical to the future of the planet and the generations which follow.

Regrettably, the manner in which it conveys its message needs improvement.

Pragmatism and empathy tend to be in short supply, particularly when the said message is reaching the ears of certain sectors which very much need to be on board when it comes to contributions to be made to the overall solutions – sectors such as agricultural, transportation, energy, etc – whose rural or partly rural leanings tend to be at odds with the urban base from which the Green Party secures most of its support.

I wish Roderic O’Gorman well in his endeavours as the new Green leader. I hope there is adequate understanding and empathy on all sides of the discussion in future. – Yours, etc,

TOM TIERNAN,

Ennis,

Co Clare.