In Government
The Green Party entered into government with Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats on 14 June 2007, gaining two senior ministers John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Trevor Sargent was named the junior minister for Minister of State for Food and Horticulture, however Sargeant later resigned the position in 2010. On 23 March 2010, the Green Party gained two new junior ministries. Ciaran Cuffe was appointed as Minister for Horticulture, Sustainable Travel, Planning and Heritage. Mary White was appointed as Minister for Equality, Human Rights and Integration. Both Cuffe and White resigned their positions on 23 January 2011, following the decision of the Green Party to leave Government.
The Green Party had approached the 2007 General Election in the Republic on an independent platform, ruling out no coalition partners while expressing its preference for an alternative to the incumbent coalition. The results of the election ruled out the possibility of a Fine Gael/Labour/Green government without support from a combination of the Progressive Democrats, Sinn Féin and various independents (77 seats) leaving it 7 seats short of a majority. Fine Gael ruled out a potential coalition arrangement with Sinn Féin opening the way for Green Party negotiations with Fianna Fáil.
Read more about this topic: Green Party (Ireland)
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“In the relations of a weak Government and a rebellious people there comes a time when every act of the authorities exasperates the masses, and every refusal to act excites their contempt.”
—John Reed (1887–1920)
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