Greens' climate bill will delay election by month
THE Green Party yesterday sought to end its "annus horribilis" by publishing one of the key bills it wants passed before the General Election.
But the Climate Change Bill will not pass through the Oireachtas until late next month at the earliest, pushing the Greens' initial election date demand of January back by a month.
It came as the party described 2010 -- a year which saw them oversee bank bailouts, the €6bn Budget and the arrival of the IMF -- as a horrible year.
A message from the party yesterday thanked the media for their help during the "annus horribilis" and wished people a peaceful Christmas and happy new year.
Yesterday's Climate Change Bill is designed to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions being produced by burning fossil fuels.
It requires deep cuts to be made in carbon emissions to meet legally-binding EU targets and move Ireland to a low-carbon economy and prevent dangerous climate change.
Emissions will have to fall by 2.5pc a year, or by 1.6 million tonnes. This would be the equivalent of turning off the heat and light in 300,000 homes for a year. Friends of the Earth welcomed the bill but business group IBEC said it would damage Irish businesses.
The Greens say it will pass through the Oireachtas by the end of January and is one of a number of policies the Greens want implemented before the election. They had been told by Fianna Fail that they must push out their initial demand of a January election if they wanted their policies passed.
If the Dail is dissolved at the end of January or start of February, a four-week election campaign could mean polling day will fall in early March.
The Finance Bill, the legislation underpinning the Budget, also has to be passed, and Finance Minister Brian Lenihan yesterday said it would be published in the middle of January. Mr Lenihan said he did not have an exact date for the election.
The "annus horribilis" message from the Green Party press office echoes a similar incident from five years ago.
Steve Rawson, the party press officer at the time, resigned after it was reported he had placed phone calls to a handful of political journalists to apologise for a speech made by then party leader, Trevor Sargent.
Mr Sargent made a rambling speech at the party's Christmas drinks function in 2005 -- with Mr Rawson ringing the next day to commiserate with journalists for having to endure it.
- Fiach Kelly Political Correspondent
