Green meeting adjourned after general secretary dies

The Green Party has postponed its pre-Dail meeting after the party's general secretary Dermot Hamilton died suddenly today.

The 48-year-old fell ill this morning with chest pains and was taken to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, where he died of a heart attack at around 10.30am.

He was a 20-year veteran of the Green Party and had contested a number of local elections, before being appointed general secretary in February this year.

Mr Hamilton, from Rush, Co Dublin, is survived by his wife Patricia and teenage daughter Kelly.

The Green Party postponed its parliamentary meeting in Dublin today and cancelled engagements scheduled for the weekend as a mark of respect.

Leader Trevor Sargent paid tribute to Mr Hamilton, whose death he described as a huge loss to the party.

Earlier at the meeting, Mr Sargent said the Greens would bring real change to an alternative government.

Mr Sargent said the Greens could provide policies with a clarity people needed and deserved.

"We believe that it's important the electorate realises they are electing a government who is going to make changes," he said.

"We are a party this country needs, we have the solutions to many of the issues that people are becoming aware of," he added.

The party has unveiled its energy strategy - which aims to switch Ireland to 100% renewable energy by 2050 - and said it was the first of a number of detailed policy documents to be released over coming months.

Energy spokesman Eamon Ryan dismissed recent criticism by Michael McDowell that the party would raise taxes and build fewer roads, claiming he didn't know what he was talking about on transport and education, and reissued his challenge to the Justice Minister to an open debate on the two issues.

Mr Ryan also said the childcare document, drawn up in consultation with parents and groups such as the National Women's Council of Ireland, would give families choice on how they brought up their children.

It aims for a balanced approach by providing flexible working, greater parental leave and a payment which allows parents to choose between childcare and bringing up their child themselves.

The party's education spokesman Paul Gogarty said the party would be launching a '50 steps to better education' policy and that the Greens had been at the forefront in calling for smaller classes, a review of catchment areas and multi-uses for school buildings.

"If we don't invest majorly in education in the next 10 years - and a 10-year programme is what is needed - it's going to cost the country money," he warned.

While the party has ruled out an electoral pact with any other parties, the Greens aim to be part of an alternative government, the party said today.

Mr Sargent said they were in negotiations with other parties, but would not rule in or out any portfolios the Green Party would want in a potential coalition.

In the next election, the Green Party is aiming to hold on to the six seats they already have and is targeting a further six - Carlow-Kilkenny, Galway West, Wicklow, Clare, Dublin North Central and Dublin South Central - for possible gains.

Mr Sargent refused to be drawn on how many Dail seats the party hoped to get in the next general election, but said doubling the number of TDs would be very ambitious and any increase on the current six would be great.