Greens could be gone by Lunchtime…

Update 16.14: Dan Boyle says there is an air of unreality about the FF talks team.

Update 14:45: It is all coming down to a pending meeting with Cowen and Gormley. No fixed time for it but talk from the Greens is using the words ‘brink’ and ‘precipice’. Make of this what you will – I will not guarantee it isn’t spin.

Update at 13.00 (Lunchtime): 50 hours of negoitations, described by ’sources’ as ‘tough’ already one walkaway but prospect of Cowen and Gormley meeting soon – which means we may be observing a piece of theatre or the walk to the precipice.

Ciaran Cuffe ramped up pressure on the government last night by declaring that the absence of an agreement on the new programme for government by lunchtime could precipitate green ministers walking out.

On RTÉ’s Late Debate programme last night, Mr Cuffe said agreement would have to be reached by lunchtime to allow for preparations for tomorrow’s convention.

Deputy Cuffe said he believed if agreement is not reached by lunchtime, then John Gormley and Eamon Ryan will resign from Government.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Brian Cowen last night was optimistic that the talks could be concluded successfully.

He said he was ‘very confident’ the outcome will be a positive one.

That stands in contrast to John Gormley who said yesterday that he “was far more confident at the beginning of the process”. Not alone that but should the Green Party fail to get a commitment on animal rights into the PFG they may not get their vote for NAMA. That was the view of member and former councillor Ruairi Holohan on radio yesterday, this is what he told Matt Cooper:

What are they looking for?

The major education issue for the Greens is their demand for a restoration of a pupil-teacher ratio of one to 27 in primary schools. In last October’s budget, the figure was increased to 28.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing:

Sources close to the talks said rolling back cuts in education had been “a bit of a stumbling block” and had caused a “hiccup” earlier in the week but the negotiations were now “back on track”.

It is understood there was a temporary breakdown on Wednesday night with Green negotiators calling a halt because they felt their Fianna Fáil opposite numbers were “not serious” about an agreement.

Sources said there had also been a difficulty with the Green demand for a reduction in the number of TDs which was being resisted by the Fianna Fáil talks team.

If the Ministers take charge and pull the plug it might just give some momentum otherwise lost in the effort to convince members.