09/10/2009

Lunch Time 'Crunch Time' As Greens Decide

The Green Party could be leaving the Government by lunchtime tomorrow, according to the party's whip.

According to Party Whip Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party members are to meet tomorrow to vote on a new Programme for Government and if agreement with Fianna Fail is not reached before the vote, the party's ministers will resign from Government.

If the Green Ministers do decide to leave the coalition government, governing party Fianna Fail will be left in a minority in the Daíl, triggering an automatic General Election.

The talks between Fianna Fáil and the Greens are now into their eighth day, with education and reform for expenses and procedures believed to be posing the most difficult hurdles.

Mr Cuffe, during a televised interview last night, said agreement would have to be reached by lunchtime to allow for preparations for tomorrow's convention and that he believed if agreement is not reached by lunchtime, then John Gormley and Eamon Ryan will resign from Government.

An estimated 800 Greens will vote on the hammered out agreement tomorrow afternoon at a special party convention in the RDS in Dublin.

A motion to remain in government on the basis of the revised programme for government will require a two-thirds majority.

This will then be followed by a debate on a dissident motion calling on the Green TDs to reject the National Asset Management Agency (Nama), which also requires a two-thirds majority to be passed.

(DW/GK)


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