The Daily Star Ireland
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has acknowledged that the party anticipates losing three-quarters of its seats in the current election. The Greens are now expected to secure only three seats once all votes are counted, a significant drop from the 12 seats they held before the election.
The three expected to retain their seats are Mr. O’Gorman in Dublin West, Ossian Smyth in Dun Laoghaire, and Catherine Martin in Dublin Rathdown.
“It’s evident that the Green Party hasn’t had a successful day,” Mr. O’Gorman said somberly at the Dublin West count centre. “I know many of my colleagues are worried about losing their seats.”
When asked by the Irish Independent for an estimate of the number of seats the Greens will secure, Mr. O’Gorman responded, “At this point, it looks like we’re aiming for two to three. From what I hear, the numbers are low.”
Mr. O’Gorman expressed his regret for the colleagues and candidates who have worked diligently over the past four and a half years but may not retain their seats. “We’re still in contention in a few places, including here in Dublin West, where I’m currently fifth in a five-seater race but leading for the fifth seat. In other constituencies, we are also competing for the final seats. However, this outcome is undeniably disappointing for our party.”
Reflecting on the party’s efforts since the 2020 mandate, Mr. O’Gorman highlighted their achievements: reducing carbon emissions to a 30-year low, investing in public transport, halving childcare costs, and implementing significant legislative reforms. He noted the traditional difficulty for smaller parties in government, stating, “We hoped to defy this trend in the election, but unfortunately, we haven’t managed to do so.”
