Sargent vows to end politics of 'false promises'

Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent has set out his party's stall for the upcoming European and local elections with a promise to clean up politics and concentrate on health, education and transport as well as the environment.

Addressing his party's annual conference in Galway this evening, Mr Sargent pointed to sister parties' successes in Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Latvia, where a Green Party prime minister was elected this week.

"Together we can create a caring, compassionate and sustainable Ireland for the 21st Century," Mr Sargent said. "But first we need to rid ourselves of a Government which has become a byword for arrogance, corruption and false promises."

"If we want a green and sustainable future for Ireland Fianna Fáil and their junior coalition partners must be put out of office.

Green Party candidates must win, "and win well" in the local elections and the European contests in June where Green party success would, Mr Sargent said, ensure "fewer Fianna Fáil MEPs make it to Brussels where they will once again enter into an alliance with the small far right parties in the European Parliament along with the Taoiseach's friend Silvio Berlusconi."

Setting out his party's policy priorities, Mr Sargent said the Green Party would "make sure that parents have the necessary free time and resources to get the crucial first few years of parenting right".

"We also want smaller primary class sizes of - twenty rather than thirty - so our young children can learn to read and write with ease."

Addressing the issue of health reform, he said the Green Party would be "campaigning against the downgrading of local hospitals proposed in the Hanly Report."

"In spite of Fianna Fail's election promise to end waiting lists within two years over 27,000 are still left waiting," Mr Sargent said.

On transport the Green Party leader attacked the Minister, Mr Brennan, for building more motorways and creating gridlock.

"Greens in government would massively invest in public transport to solve our traffic problems. We will bring in light rail in Cork, the Metro in Dublin, the western rail line and we will deliver new rural bus services throughout the country."

Addressing the contentious issue of waste incineration Mr Sargent said the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, "does have one plan which his is sticking rigidly to: that is the plant to burn all our rubbish in eight giant incinerators he wants to build around the country."

"The Green Party knows that we could create thousands of jobs by adopting policies where we recycle and re-use waste rather than burning it," Mr Sargent added.

Some 600 delegates are attending the Green Party conference in Salthill. The party is preparing to field more than 130 candidates in the local and European elections in June.