Sir, – I was struck by some of the language used in several articles about the Green Party in your Weekend supplement (“Green Party in government”, May 16th).
The Green Party was an integral part of arguably the most calamitous government in the history of the State. Talk of achievements being “lost in the wash of the recession” implies that the economic catastrophe which ensued was solely the work of Fianna Fáil. The historic failure to cool an overheating economy must be levelled at the Green Party too. The Greens have somehow managed to escape blame for this. Micheál Martin has been rightly questioned over his role and Eamon Ryan (as a cabinet minister at the time) should be held equally culpable.
Small parties do often suffer unfairly after coalition but the electoral thrashing which the Greens received in 2011 was thoroughly deserved. – Yours, etc,
KARL DOYLE,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.