Interview With John Gormley

And yes I was hoping for a little more engagement

John Gormley thanks for agreeing to talk to us;

IE.com: The Green Party are enjoying 7% support in the polls and the national agenda currently seems to suit them (sustainable energy, public transport etc.) What are Greens looking for at the next election? Is there a potential for seat gains as voters move away from the established parties?

JG: Yes, we feel we can make modest gains in targeted areas. All we’re saying at this stage is that we’ll come back with 6 plus seats.

IE.com: Your stance on Iraq and Shannon is widely known, however do you think that the electorate would benefit, or engage, with a debate on foreign policy at the next election? Should we be looking to discuss neutrality, Iraq, EU Battle Groups and the UN alongside the health service, taxes etc?

JG: I can honestly say that these issues don’t come up on the doors, even though they are a particular interest of mine.

IE.com: In light of Labour’s perceived move to the centre ground and alliance with Fine Gael, should an alternative government be about social justice or the sound management of individuals finances?

JG: It has to be about social justice and quality of life

IE.com: When we see how few votes that government minsters (McDaid) and backbenchers (Wallace) need to attend to govern the country, is it not time that hte Dail was reformed and we lived up to our title as a republic?

JG: The Dail is in urgent need of reform. We have put forward a policy document on this.

IE.com: Who looks likely to be the biggest losers at the next election?

JG:Hard to say.It’s a year away. Things change rapidly in this business. Obviously, it would be nice if the government parties lost out.

IE.com: What have the Green Party got to offer the country in government that Labour, Fine Fail, the PDs and Fine Gael do not?

JG: Radical, common sense solutions. Courage to take on the vested interests.

IE.com: The major commitments on your 50 Steps are still to be released, but just a quick few questions-is it the state’s responsibility to build schools? Or to continue to finance private operators to run schools as currently? Can our current models of education match the lifestyles of parents and the needs of children in years to come? If not what needs to be addressed at a fundamental level?

JG: Yes, the state has a central role in education, and no, funding private schools is not the right approach.

IE.com: Should the current pay talks yield bonus pay to workers or should we be quite worried about inflation and loss of competitiveness in a globalised economy? Should the issue of globalisation and job migration come up in 2007 or is it an issue at all? Is it not just the natural pattern of economic growth?

JG: These issues will come up. The perceived race to the bottom is a matter of concern for workers. As for economic growth , well, it’s time this was the subject of real debate