FF Turning Green

Perhaps, it is the Green’s solid poll run of late. Perhaps it is another conversion for the Taoiseach. Whatever it is, this weekends Fianna Fail Ard Fheis looks likely to be dominated at this early stage by the parties green credentials.Last night the Taoiseach emphasised the government’s commitment to cut emmissions and this was picked up by Minister dialup Dempsey when he stressed all parties, social partners and public bodies need to sign up to targets which will be met over the course of three governments (15 years). Precisely the long-term talk the Green party have been on about for ages.

It is unlikely that this Ard Fheis will be solely remembered for the FF ‘green wave’ with Cowen suggesting that the Taoiseach is to make tax commitments in his speech tonight. However the final claim made by the Taoiseach last night was quoted thus;

“The Government’s priority over the past 10 years in office, he claimed, had been to try to break the automatic link between economic growth and environmental damage.”

That assertion seems very hard to stand up considering the recent EPA report which hightlights precisely how difficult it has become to manage economic growth in a sustainable fashion. While I am delighted  to see the Taoiseach considering the environment a crucial part of economic planning, it seems that thus far their ability to take environmental concerns into account is unproven.

Certainly they do not appear to have broken the emmisions-growth link (something I do believe it is possible to do).