The Irish Government has done more for Gaza than any other EU member state, the leader of the Green Party has said.
Eamon Ryan said the Middle East conflict is one of the most common issues being raised by voters on the campaign trail.
Mr Ryan made the remarks as he participated in a “static canvass” outside Pearse Street station in Dublin on Wednesday evening, passing on the party’s message ahead of the local and European elections next week.
Commuters running for their journey home were handed leaflets encouraging them to re-elect Ciaran Cuffe as an MEP for the Dublin constituency, which highlight his work on housing regulations and climate action.
Amid the cacophony of screeching train brakes and rattling Dart carriages, the two softly-spoken politicians engaged with a variety of voters, although it was noted that many of them were not day-to-day motorists.
A group of passing young men cheerily told Mr Ryan that they would be voting for Sinn Féin, but he still convinced one of them to take a leaflet.
A former soldier, aged in his 60s, complained that “things take so long to change”.
Mr Ryan attempted to assure him: “But we’ll get there – and Ciaran is very hard working.”
A young man who works as a mechanical engineer with a data-centre firm had an in-depth conversation with Mr Cuffe and Mr Ryan about renewable energy, interconnectors, electricity grid capacity and HVO fuel.
Speaking to the PA news agency afterwards, the Dublin constituent said he had traditionally voted Green but was now unsure as he is more concerned with how MEPs had acted in relation to the Gaza conflict.
While unable to recall her name without being prompted, he said he was more aligned with independent candidate Clare Daly.
He said Ms Daly, an MEP in The Left grouping, was a good Irish representative who was critical of Ursula von der Leyen and acted “like a canary” for human-rights issues like the Gaza conflict.
The man admitted that he did not know anything about her fiscal policies or green credentials beyond her being left-wing and added that he had “no idea” what Mr Cuffe’s stance on Gaza was.
Despite this, he had not raised the Middle East conflict in his conversation with Mr Cuffe.
Had he taken the campaign leaflet, he would see that the sitting MEP claims to have “stood up to” Ms von der Leyen and “demanded support for Gaza”.
Another constituent criticised the Green Party’s approach to a passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
Mr Cuffe has opposed expansion plans at Dublin Airport while Mr Ryan has become embroiled in a public spat with Ryanair over passenger limits.
The woman, who worked for an airline, said she wanted to see the politicians engage more with the sector.
There were several positive reactions to the Green politicians but most people, however, simply passed by.
Mr Cuffe noted that he and his party leader had a different approach to the interactions.
The Dublin MEP said: “I like to engage people directly on the facts.
“I haven’t learned to tell people ‘you’re right’ and engage with them like that – which seems to be a prerequisite skill in Irish politics that I haven’t picked up on over 30 years.”
At one point, though, Mr Cuffe is jubilant that a voter told him he was “nailed on for a number one” preference.
“I think the worst thing someone can say is ‘best of luck’,” he said, adding that he believed it means they have no intention of voting for him.
However, Mr Ryan – who did not hear this remark – later said: “I translate ‘best of luck’ into ‘I’m going to vote for you’.
When told about his colleague’s view on the expression, Mr Ryan added: “Well, I’m an optimist.”
The difference in outlook was demonstrated as one prospective voter told Mr Ryan after a lengthy pitch that he would give his candidate “a scratch” on the ballot paper.
The MEP shouted after him: “I’ll need more than a scratch!”
Speaking to the PA news agency while engaging with commuters at the station, Mr Ryan feels the party is on the right track.
Asked about what concerns voters are raising, the Green Party leader said: “You get issues like migration, depending on where you are.
“Housing comes up. Gaza comes up – people are very exercised about what’s happening in Gaza.”
He added: “I think they recognise that the Government has done more than any other government in Europe.”
Asked about the response to politicians while canvassing, he answered: “People are much better in real life than they are online.”
He said there was a “small, vocal, organised” group of people who had been influenced by a crossover of anti-migrant, anti-vaccine and anti-climate ideas online since the pandemic.
“You’ll see it here now: One in 50 people will maybe shout something.
“And they’re entitled to that. That’s democracy.”
His point is immediately illustrated as a passing moped rider interrupted his comments to yell: “You’re destroying the city, Eamon.”
A red traffic light offered Mr Cuffe an opportunity to step in.
He said the man believes that the city centre traffic plan will impede his work as a blood-delivery driver.
Noting that road management of the city is not under the remit of a MEP, Mr Cuffe shouted to Mr Ryan: “I told him you’d sort it out.”
After fielding a separate complaint about the Dart schedule, he acknowledged that some voters had difficulty understanding the role of the European Parliament.
Mr Cuffe said: “People want to talk about what housing, bike lanes and BusConnects.
“I’m saying: Look, there’s a lot we can do in Europe, we need a housing commissioner and people consider that and say that could be good.
“I think when you break it down into understandable chunks, the nature of our job is to make it simple.”
He added: “People tend not to get too animated about the European fiscal rules, strategic autonomy or the rule of law, but these things are important.”
Overall, Mr Cuffe feels positive about the reaction at the doorsteps but said the party is sometimes “between a rock and a hard place” with some voters thinking change is happening too quickly, while others feel progress is too slow.
As the branded Green Party vests slipped off and the campaigner’s bicycles came unlocked, the rush-hour canvass came to a close.
But suddenly, one last opportunity arose as two constituents approached the MEP.
Their pressing issue: “What’s the quickest way to Heuston Station?”
