Greens mock Fianna Fail’s ‘newfound interest in climate’

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Green Party leader has criticised Fianna Fáil’s “newfound interest in climate” in a significant jab at his coalition partners.

The Greens further claimed that the Government almost collapsed due to Fianna Fáil’s position on Budget negotiations on the climate and nature fund.

It comes after details of Fianna Fáil’s climate action plans were reported on Saturday.

The party is reportedly promising a junior ministry for energy along with increased investment in electric vehicle infrastructure and wind farms.

Fianna Fáil is also pledging a 90 per cent cut in EU emissions by 2040.

However, the reports were “greeted with a rueful response” from Green partners who said they spent much of the four and a half years of the coalition “battling hostility over much-needed measures”.

Green Party minister Ossian Smyth claimed Fianna Fáil had to be dragged “kicking and screaming” on many environmental issues.

He added: “The last government nearly collapsed because Fianna Fáil wouldn’t agree to the €3.15 billion Climate and Nature Fund even though it will help businesses and state bodies cut emissions while also cutting their energy bills.

“Last week, with Fine Gael, they blocked a plan coming to cabinet that would allow businesses to start preparing for how the money could be spent from 2026.”

Speaking in Dublin on Saturday, Green leader Roderic O’Gorman said: “We’re also really delighted today to see Fianna Fáil’s newfound interest in the climate.

“Interesting to see their policy coming out today, but it does somewhat contrast with the approach that we found from Fianna Fáil over the last four and a half years in government, and particularly demonstrated in the last weeks where they actually blocked the allocation of funding under the Nature and Climate Fund.

“So, great to see Fianna Fáil talking big on climate change today, but they weren’t talking big about it even two weeks ago in cabinet.

“We would remind people that the party that has focused and prioritised climate for the last four and a half years in government, for the last 40 years as a party, has been the Green Party.”

Mr O’Gorman said he did not understand the Fianna Fáil proposal to “downgrade the issue of energy” to a junior ministry.