A pre-election statement from Green Party Dublin West candidate, Roderic O’Gorman.
Over the last three weeks, people have been telling me at the doorsteps that they want a change. They want the planning laws changed, so that developers have to contribute some facilities to the communities that they are creating. They want change in the Department of Education, so it starts planning for new schools before new housing estates are built – not ten years after the homes are finished. They want change in the way we travel to and from work, so that using public transport can become a realistic option for all. And they want a change in the way we are currently polluting our planet, so Ireland plays its part in tackling global warming.
Only a No.1 vote for the Green Party, and myself in Dublin West, guarantees this change.
We are standing on an independent platform in this election. Should we be in a position to negotiate a programme for government after the votes are counted, we will have three non-negotiable demands. The first is that the next government will invest 1 billion extra into education each year over ten years to guarantee our children the best start in life. The second is a commitment to clean up politics by banning corporate donations to politicians. This will make sure that the bad planning decisions that result in insufficient affordable housing for young couples will become a thing of the past. Finally, any government that the Green Party will form must be committed to tackling climate change – the greatest threat to our planet. This will mean major investment in public transport to give people the option of leaving their cars at home and supporting renewable energy in Ireland to cut our dependence on expensive oil and gas.
In negotiations to form a government, the Green Party will be pushing to have as much of our manifesto implemented as possible. The more Green TD’s elected and the more No.1 votes we receive, the more of our politics that can be implemented. However, the three areas I outline above are non-negotiable. Any party that refuses to sign up to these need not come knocking on our door.
As a lifelong resident of Dublin 15, I have seen the disasters in areas like planning, traffic and education that have been created in our community by the failure of the current government. I sincerely believe that Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats need to be put out of office. However, if we want real change in Dublin 15 and across the country, it is essential that the Green Party forms part of the next government.
It’s time to give me and the Green Party your No.1 vote, and make change happen.
Roderic
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