Green Party open to coalition with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
The Green Party have opened the door to coalition to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil after a party discussion on the new policy document.
Leader Eamon Ryan and his parliamentary colleagues held a two-hour teleconference meeting on Thursday to discuss the 22-page document supplied by the two civil war parties in an effort to convince one of the smaller parties to join their coalition.
"People know my perspective," Mr Ryan said.
"You work with people, you work with everyone.
"I haven't had a chance to speak to anyone (from the other parties) yet, you have got to be careful, we're not going to rush in, that wasn't a negotiation document, it's a framework document.
"We need clarity on certain key questions, that's what we want to do next.
"It's up to the parliamentary party and we haven't decided yet, we're looking for detail for the Irish people."
Mr Ryan said although the group have given the document consideration, however, it is not feasible that his party would enter government without clear commitment to climate action.
"Everyone would say it's not a very detailed document, the document is vague on details and I think it's going to require a lot more work," he said.
"There's a lot of work to be done, on the climate side for instance, are we agreed a 7% plus emissions reduction per annum?
"In public housing, how many houses? Where? How much for cost rental or social housing? That detail is going to be needed, that's just our initial response.
"We're asking the obvious questions.
"Detail behind the aspiration in some cases can be hard, but for something like climate, that's what the science says what we have to do, so let's be ambitious and clear in our ambition, and the same for public housing.
"We think that level of ambition has implications for other areas, the same for the move towards public housing, even in the uncertainty of post COVID19, the economic response would be stronger if we were ambitious.
"For us that includes cost rental, we need them (Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil) to be specific, on the land development agency, how would constitutional change work? Be specific on that on those key policies."
Mr Ryan's party have had a tumultuous few weeks in the press, with persistent rumours that the party is split on government formation, with the newly elected TDs voicing their concerns about entering any coalition with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
"We have different views, that's a healthy thing in the party, and we're trying to get consensus, but we're still working well together," Mr Ryan said.
