On the fifth anniversary of Ireland’s historic decision to recognize that we are in the midst of a climate emergency, the Green Party has set out a detailed plan for new measures at local level to improve our towns and villages and help to restore nature in rural and urban areas. As new challenges emerge, the party’s fundamental message is that Ireland must continue to go green.
The launch was attended by Ministers Eamon Ryan, Catherine Martin and Roderic O’Gorman. The Green Party is fielding 125 candidates in the country’s 31 local authorities.
The Green Party has played a key role in ensuring that every council has a robust, legally binding climate action plan. Green councilors will now ensure these plans are implemented. The party wants all local authorities to publish annual audits of their carbon footprint and report on progress made in reducing it.
Minister Eamon Ryan, leader of the Green Party, was keen to emphasize that the Green Party stands for warm homes, safe streets and clean communities.
“We will restore nature everywhere, ensuring that our farmers, who are often on the front line, are paid properly. We will create parks, community gardens and nature trails. We will clean up our rivers, lakes and sea. We will ensure that people can move freely on our streets. We will widen sidewalks and cycle paths, create new bus routes and slow down traffic to make our roads safer,” he said.
For her part, Minister Catherine Martin, deputy leader of the Green Party, believes that the manifesto presented last Thursday constitutes a plan to help empower local communities in Ireland.
“The Dáil can decide our laws and our budgets, but it is local councils that implement many of them. It will be our communities that lead the transition to a sustainable, fairer and healthier way of life. This decade is our opportunity to transform our society for the benefit of all. We cannot afford to waste it,” she said.
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