Are the Greens proping up the government for their Oireachtas pensions?

[Lloyd-Apjohn]

How might they have prevented oil prices reaching $147/bbl?

How might they have prevented the Sub-Prime situation in the US?

How might they have retrospectively regulated global Hedge Funds?

How might they have prevented the collapse of Fréres Lehman?

How might they have prevented gobsheen Councillors up and down the Country from granting excessive rezonings?

If you think the economy wasn't on the rocks in 2007 you are living in a parallel universe.




The problem there is that Fine Gael and Labour keep refusing to make these necessary changes. Ask them to support Dan Boyle in his campaign for Dáil reform, and maybe you'll see your wish come true.




Personally, I'd see the 40% improvement in Part L of the Building Regulations as being much more important, and I know the Minister sees Local Government Reform, and the New Planning Act as being the most omportant things he has done to date.

The only people who go on about lightbulbs are people outside the Greens.

In what way did he backtrack?

YOU lot have a Dáil majority so you don't need the votes of FG or L to do anything as we saw when you sided with your FF friends at the confidence vote.

There is no one stopping you lot doing what needs to be done except you don't have the guts because all you care about is staying in power to get pensions and to avoid being defeated in a general electon because you know your greed for power is going to destroy the entire lifetime's work of a generation of the people who started the green movement.

If your lot hadn't gone in with the lying perjurer Bertie than maybe we'd have a minority FF government putting through the right FG and L policies as in 87-89 but without the Tallaght strategy and everyone under no doubt that it was FG/L calling the shots and taking the credit for sorting out the mess.

But no Gormlesses' sheer greed took over and he blasted anyone who questioned him aside.

It must be galling to know that actually for once Patricia McKenna was right after all.

[riker1969]

The Greens like vast swathes of our Politicians thought the economy might slow a little but eventually to quote one Bernard Ahern " The Boom would get boomier"

What specifically Green policies have been implemented?

[OceanFrog]

... because you know your greed for power is going to destroy the entire lifetime's work of a generation of the people who started the green movement.

This is true. And very, very sad.

[OceanFrog]

What specifically Green policies have been implemented?

Can you list each item that they implemented that the government were not obliged to implement under EU rules? Bullet points please.

I'd also like to hear the answer to this.

So for the third time on this thread, SPN and co, can you list each item that the GP have implemented since 2007 that the government were not obliged to implement under EU rules?

[amblincork]

Are you aware that every time you turn up on a thread about the Greens that the thread effectively dies?

Oh, its that guy who keeps starting threads about Dan Boyle. Think I'll look for another thread.

Mr Goosy, your absence from threads I have been contributiong to has, I have to tell you, gone unnoticed !
Yes I know that is rather infuriating, but there it is.
I am curious about your rather touching attachment to the now, as I have previously predicted, utterly discredited Mr Boyle.
I imagine it must be a little embarassing for his Ministerial colleagues to have to look him in the eye, knowing that his presence in the Seanad is entirely down to Bertie Ahern's charity !

[goosebump]

Can you list each item that they implemented that the government were not obliged to implement under EU rules? Bullet points please.

New building regulations
New planning laws
New drinking water regulations
Local Government reform
New motor tax regime
Micro electricity generation
Smart meters
Home insulation incentives
End of electronic voting
Incineration levies
Promotion of electric cars
etc etc etc

None of that required by the EU and that's since 2007.

Now.

Can someone give me a few bullet points re. what the so-called Green movement (that the Green Party have apparently betrayed) acheived prior to 2007?

[Lloyd-Apjohn]

New building regulations
New planning laws
New drinking water regulations
Local Government reform
New motor tax regime
Micro electricity generation
Smart meters
Home insulation incentives
End of electronic voting
Incineration levies
Promotion of electric cars
etc etc etc

None of that required by the EU and that's since 2007.

Now.

Can someone give me a few bullet points re. what the so-called Green movement (that the Green Party have apparently betrayed) acheived prior to 2007?

Not one of those items you listed have actually gone into practice - all of them are pipe dreams.

When these changes have actually taken place then come back and we'll see ie he hasn't actually scrapped the e-voting machines - we are still paying for the storage because Gormless set up a committee to look into getting rid of them - seems this government is incapable of thinking up anything without being told what to do by a committee - no doubt the committee is full of green party members who are paid 'expenses' by the state - unvouched for expenses no doubt.

You learn fast from your FF masters.

[goosebump]

Not one of those items you listed have actually gone into practice - all of them are pipe dreams.

New building regulations

- Already pass into law by virtue of Ministerial Regulation

New planning laws

- At Bill stage

New drinking water regulations

- Law since Oct 2007

Local Government reform

- White Paper stage

New motor tax regime

- Law since July 2008

Micro electricity generation

- Pilot scheme already underway

Smart meters

- Pilot scheme already under way

Home insulation incentives

- Grant applications now being accepted

End of electronic voting

- Done

Incineration levies

- Done

Promotion of electric cars

- Meaures announced by ESB

You learn fast from your FF masters.

You might want to take a few lessons yourself, Opposition Boy.

[OceanFrog]

New building regulations
New planning laws
New drinking water regulations
Local Government reform
New motor tax regime
Micro electricity generation
Smart meters
Home insulation incentives
End of electronic voting
Incineration levies
Promotion of electric cars
etc etc etc

Do you honestly think these crumbs from the FF table are worth the destruction of the GP for the foreseeable future?

[Baron von Biffo]

You can take the issues of Tara and Shannon up with all the other Political Parties who supported them (FF/FG/PD/Lab, and FF/FG/PD respectively).

The Incinerators were killed off when Minister Gormley made it illegal for Local Authorities to enter into put-or-pay contracts. Without these guaranteed revenue streams no Bank is going to fund them - even if the Banking system gets back to mid-decade levels of liquidity.

Sorry SPN you can't have it every way. Before the last election Tara, Shannon and the incinerator in Gormleys back garden were all against Green policy now they're all happening on the Greens watch. Then there's slashing public transport, increasing class sizes, the U-turn on cancer vaccines for girls, the shambles in health and all the rest

You can't blame the others. The Greens are in government with FF and the PD, they bear equal responsibility for the mess. FG and Lab are in opposition. They don't get to implement policy.

The Greens were wiped out in the locals because they ditched their policies for the most base reason - the chance of office without power.