GREEN PARTY:GREEN PARTY leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley last night welcomed the Taoiseach's commitment to call a general election in the new year.
Mr Gormley had earlier announced that that the Greens would pull out of Government if Mr Cowen refused to call an election for the second half of January.
He said the party was acting because the people needed “economic and political certainty”.
Mr Gormley said the Greens would remain in Government to help ensure three things were delivered: a credible four-year plan for the economy, the delivery of the budget and the securing of funding support from the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We have said that we can no longer participate in Government after we have completed those tasks,” he said.
Responding last night to the Taoiseach’s announcement that a general election would take place on completion of the budgetary process, a spokesman for Mr Gormley said the Minister was “very pleased”, in particular with Mr Cowen’s emphasis on the need to deal quickly with the three key issues the Green Party had raised.
Mr Gormley, asked earlier if he had informed Mr Cowen of his party’s decision, said: “Yes, I had a discussion with the Taoiseach and I informed him of our intention. I said this was by far and away the best approach in my view.
“I also said that of course I respected the constitutional prerogative of an Taoiseach to name a date but similarly I think we as a party have to respect ourselves and our members.
“They, like the Irish people, have been very disappointed. There is major disquiet in the party and we felt, after long and intensive discussion I might add, that this was by far and away the best option.”
He said Mr Cowen had expressed “a certain disappointment” at the decision, “but also I would hope that he sees that this is the most realistic way to deal with the current situation”.
Asked whether he believed the Taoiseach had misled himself and his colleagues when reports were coming out of a possible IMF bailout, he said:
“I believe that there was bad communication. We were given an official line, both [Green Party Minister for Energy] Eamon Ryan and myself, which was essentially a mixed message. It was basically along the lines that there were discussions taking place, but not negotiations.
“Under the circumstances, because of the vagueness of that particular message, we felt it a better and probably much wiser approach not to say anything. I think that approach was better under the circumstances.”
Asked if he felt “personally deceived” by the Taoiseach in relation to the IMF bailout, he replied: “What I said before was that, there was a real problem in terms of communications, that the answers we got were somewhat Jesuitical, were not clear enough . . . and there was an element of miscommunication.”
Mr Gormley said he regretted very much that “the country is in the hands of the IMF and I think I and my colleagues are deeply upset by what has happened.”