Up to 1,000 Green Party activists will have a say in its future, writes Miriam Donohoe, Political Staff
A two-thirds majority vote of Green Party members in favour of coalition is required at a special convention next Sunday before it can go into government.
Up to 1,000 paid-up party members are entitled to attend the special all-day convention arranged for the Mansion House in Dublin. About 700 to 800 members are expected to attend.
A four-person committee comprising the party's general secretary Dónall Geoghegan; his assistant Alison Martin; the party's co-ordinator Stiofán Nutty; and its parliamentary group secretary Colm Ó Caomhanaigh was established this year to draw up the procedures for the special convention to decide on going into government.
"At the time it was decided to set up the committee, going into government was only a possibility, but we wanted to be ready in that eventuality," Mr Ó Caomhanaigh said yesterday.
Members who are fully paid- up for more than six months are entitled to attend the convention, as are the party's 30 or so city and county councillors, town commissioners, the national executive committee and parliamentary party.
The morning session will be taken up with a presentation on whatever programme for government, if any, is agreed this week between the Green and Fianna Fáil negotiation teams.
The three Green negotiators are party chairman John Gormley, Dan Boyle (who lost his seat in Cork South Central) and general secretary Dónall Geoghegan.
Mr Ó Caomhanaigh said any deal with Fianna Fáil would be "laid bare", and there would be a question-and-answer session.
It is expected that the entire government package will be put to the delegates, including details of any other parties or Independents that may be making up the coalition.
In the afternoon there will be open debate and speeches. These are expected to wrap up at about 4pm.
Members will then be asked to answer yes or no to whether they accept the deal on a written ballot. A result should be announced before 6pm. More than two-thirds of members must vote in favour of any deal if it is to be passed.
If the party goes into coalition there is no requirement on the Green TDs to go back to a convention if problems arise during the term of government and they want to pull out.
Mr Ó Caomhanaigh said his understanding was that this would ultimately be a decision of the parliamentary party members, and there was no specific requirement for them to go back to a convention if they felt for whatever reason they could not continue.
He said it could well be, in that eventuality, that the parliamentary party would consult with the national executive council.