The Green Party is considering becoming an all-Ireland party by merging its organisations north and south of the border.
As the Northern Ireland Green Party's European Election candidate Ms Lindsay Whitcroft visited Dublin, the Republic's Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent confirmed discussions were taking place about a possible merger.
The Dublin North TD, who will address the Northern Ireland Greens' conference this weekend in Omagh, said: "There has always been very close links between Greens north and south, with some members of our party living north of the order.
"The Good Friday Agreement has very much mirrored what the Green Party has been advocating since the 1980s and that has in itself created a dynamic of north-south co-operation and led to discussions about an all-Ireland Green organisation.
"With the growth of our party in the south, the growing feeling in the north is that that success could be replicated there if the same organisation was to operate right across the island.
"All the indications are at the moment that most Greens north and south of the border feel that an all-Ireland Green Party is a natural progression."
The Green Party have six TDs and is defending two European Parliament seats in June.
The Northern Ireland Greens have also been buoyed by the success of the Greens in the Scottish Parliament where they have seven seats.
But in last November's Stormont Election, Green candidates secured just 2,688 votes.
Mrs Whitcroft said there was appetite particularly among young people in Northern Ireland for an alternative to unionist and nationalist politics.
PA