Green Party members gather in Athlone this weekend for their annual conference under the theme, ‘We are Delivering in Government.’
But despite their claims of success in Government the party is battling to retain the support that saw them enter a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in 2020.
Opinion polls show them with less than half the 7% that saw them swept into government after returning 12 TDs to the Dáil.
The Greens’ TDs, Senators, MEPs Councillors and ordinary party members started to arrive in the midlands town on Friday for the opening sessions of their conference - which continues through until Sunday afternoon.
The party leadership said they wanted to highlight their successes in Government.
A spokesman said listed some of the achievements they are claiming credit for, including, “the 20% cut in public transport fares, the 25% reduction in childcare fees from January, the €600 electricity credit, the roll-out of generous retrofitting supports, the piloting of a basic income scheme for artists, the largest ever investment in tree-planting in the history of the State and the abolition of VAT on newspapers.
“The Party has also used its time in Government to implement a range of measures to accelerate Ireland’s transition from dirty and expensive fossil fuels to lower-cost renewable energy.”
The party members will be celebrating their record electoral successes at their first in-person conference since the 2020 general election.
However, the party is currently languishing in the polls at half the strength they showed at the general election of two years ago when they returned with 12 seats at Leinster House.
The party has 12 TDs in the Dáil and got 7.1% of the national vote, but this has since slipped to as low as 3%, while it currently hovers at around 4%.
The party also has four Senators, two MEPs in the European Parliament and 49 councillors all around the country.
But if the current poll ratings were to be reflected at the ballot box, the party would face losing at least half their seats.
Speaking before the launch of the conference, party leader Eamon Ryan said: “The Green Party has always been focused on helping people and planet at the same time.
“Cutting fares on public transport helps ease the financial pressure commuters are under while also reducing our emissions.
“Similarly, our retrofit plan will drive down families’ fuel bills, deliver warmer, healthier homes and lower our country’s emissions.
“These are the sort of practical, progressive policies that the Green Party has delivered during the first half of its term of office and the groundwork has been done to deliver even more in the second half.”
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