Déanaim comhghairdeas leat, a Cheann Comhairle as ucht an post seo a fháil. Tá a fhios agam nach post nua duit é. Mar Chomhalta nua sa Teach gabhaim buíochas leat as do chomhairle go nuige seo. Is cinnte go mbeidh mé ag caint leat ó am go chéile.
Is fíor go bhfuil daoine fiosrach conas a votálfaidh an Comhaontas Glas i gceist an Taoisigh sa seachtú Dáil is fiche. De bharr nach mbeidh rialtas againn, de réir cosúlachta, inniu, d'fhéadfaimis gan votáil do dhuine ar bith.
Nonetheless, the Green Party is determined to be constructive and responsive to the urgent socio-economic and ecological needs which face society, Ireland and the earth in the formation of a Government even though parties of both left and right are still seriously flawed from a green point of view in that neither side has come to terms yet with the reality and needs of the post-industrialist society which is developing all around us. The job of the Green Party is to show that it is possible for Ireland to be more selfsufficient in energy and food. We do not need nor is it doing our children's future any good to drain the world's oil reserves. Unemployment, oppression of people in work, social inequality and environmental degradation all need to be addressed in a holistic and realistic way.
The Green Party provides the only realistic form of economics for Ireland and the future of the earth by allowing us all to live within the means of the planet on which we all depend. The economics of both left and right believe that growth in general investment creates jobs but this is a dangerous and outdated assumption as shown by German research where the effects of investment have been closely measured. This research shows that investment of 1 billion Deutsche Marks created 2 million jobs between 1955 and 1960; 400,000 jobs between 1960 and 1965, a loss of 100,000 jobs between 1965 and 1970 and a further loss of 500,000 jobs between 1970 and 1975.
Similarly, given that farming has been turned into more a business than a way of life, as one leading farming commentator said, it is not surprising that so few are involved in agriculture compared to even ten years ago. It is clear that both left and right wing policies have not met the needs of people to have a reasonable quality of life. In desperation, a forum has been set up to address this failure.
The report of the industrial policy review group published last January was expected to be something of a handbook for many of those who are participants in the jobs forum. Interestingly, this report contains a section entitled "Green Issues" which concludes with the supposed pearl of wisdom:
We need to ensure that a balanced concern for environmental protection is not distorted by thoughtless antiindustrial and anti-employment attitudes. Such attitudes sometimes appear to emerge in the area of planning approvals and the licensing of industrial activities.
To suggest, as the above quotation appears, that the Greens and other passionate advocates of environmental protection are anti-employment is a blatant falsehood. The Green Party is in fact the party with the most radical approach to the question of unemployment and anyone with an ounce of sense would realise that a truly radical approach is urgently required.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned report is way off the mark. It swears by the principle that increasing industrial output and achieving economic growth will automatically lead to a significant decrease in unemployment — a misplaced belief in my view.
The report fails to address crucial questions, such as how Ireland can protect itself from the whims of mobile multinational firms. While it does say that indigenous firms should be encouraged, the kind of firms it talks about are simply Irish rather than foreign based multinationals.
No Greens were asked to contribute to this report; neither were any unemployed people. Instead, the authors are six heads of firms, a trade union leader and an economist; only one of these is female.
A radical change in work as well as work practices is needed in what is now often called the post-industrialist society. A shorter working week as well as work sharing, workers' co-operatives, early retirement options and an unconditional guaranteed basic income for everyone paid by the State, need to take their place to ensure that dignity is restored to all and that the mountains of work which needs to be done, such as food growing, house building, tree planting, road sweeping and child rearing can be done by people who are willing to work. A guaranteed basic income would end the concept of unemployment, it would end the effective prohibition on work for those who are in receipt of benefits and, above all, it would give citizens real choices so that they can work or not work, study, rear their children, do voluntary work, without the farce of pretending that they are looking for formally paid work.
Mr. Brendan Dowling, the economist, costed a guaranteed basic income scheme for Ireland in both 1977 and 1982 and found it practical. He did not take into account the savings on civil servant's pay and pensions, the cost of office space or the reduction in the black economy if the effective prohibition on work were ended.
Meanwhile, we live in a very unequal society and immediate problems of great need must be alleviated. The Taoiseach sings the praises of the European Community for Structural and Cohesion Funds but for all the money mentioned, there is little evidence of it having been used where I come from in Dublin North. The Taoiseach mentions that Ireland will receive £3 million per day. A little over £1 million — or eight hours money — would finish a relief road in my town of Balbriggan helping business and allowing the town centre to develop to suit pedestrians and passing visitors. Yet, this has been refused consistently by the Department of the Environment.
Also neglected are the harbours of north Dublin, factories lie empty, and there are well educated workers with no paid employment, that is, those who have not emigrated, and often no housing as the council has less money year by year. As we know, homelessness is causing deaths.
The railway and bus services are being run down and the most vital aspect of public transport in Dublin north, Aer Lingus, is seriously in need of equity from the Government. Horticulture in north County Dublin is going to the wall as a result of foreign government subsidised early crops flooding the Irish market.
Internationally on some issues our Government is seen to be seriously wanting. How is it that the barbarous activity of hare coursing is still allowed? This amazes 80 per cent of the Irish people, according to many surveys, and many outside Ireland too. Recently in Berlin President Robinson was presented with a petition from German people against coursing in Ireland. Last week, according to a report in the Nationalist newspaper, the judge in Clonmel District Court noted that coursing “involves the killing of innocent animals” and this not for food but for entertainment.
Much less contentious is the need to object to a licence being granted to allow a huge increase in radioactive pollution from Sellafield; this is immediate. I formally propose that that matter be dealt with this week because by the end of the year it will be too late.
I look forward to working in this Dáil on behalf of the people of Dublin north and the Green Party with a Government who is compassionate and caring, who gives equal status to women and men in positions of responsibility and uses ecological understanding as a rule of thumb in all decision making. In this regard the Greens are proposing that the post of EC Commissioner be filled by a woman who would cherish our unique position in world affairs as a neutral country with no colonial axe to grind.
Following exploratory talks with parties to date, it would seem that Labour are the party most willing to accommodate a significant amount of Green Party requirements in any agreed programme for Government. Therefore I can say on behalf of the Green Party that in the interim I will be voting for Deputy Spring as Taoiseach, but ultimate support will depend on the outcome of discussions with various parties in the near future.
Mar fhocal scoir is mór an trua nach bhfuil níos mó ná ball amháin den Chomhaontas Glas tofa an uair seo. I particularly regret that outgoing Deputy Roger Garland is not with me here today. He was a tireless worker in this House. Le cúnamh Dé, gan mhoill beidh seans ag Teilifís na Gaeltachta cúrsaí an Tí seo a chraoladh agus is cinnte go mbeidh mé ag iarraidh an mhéid Gaeilge agus is féidir a usáid le linn mo thréimhse i Dáil Éireann.
