THE RESIGNATION of Déirdre de Búrca from the Seanad and as a member of the parliamentary Green Party emphasises the brittle nature of this Coalition arrangement. Her decision will rattle the Green presence in Government and add to tensions in Cabinet. But its public impact will fall short of that generated by the sudden departure of George Lee from Fine Gael. Ms de Búrca was rejected in the European Parliament elections and subsequently nominated to the Seanad by the Taoiseach, while Mr Lee was chosen in Dublin South as a reforming champion and a pin-up boy.
Ms de Búrca’s departure has raised questions about John Gormley’s forcefulness in demanding implementation of a Green agenda in Government. It has also called into question the ability of Brian Cowen as Taoiseach to anticipate trouble and to keep his Coalition partners sweet. Perhaps the most damaging aspects of her resignation involve complaints that two key agreements between Mr Gormley and Mr Cowen were deliberately breached and that action on an important report concerning the Dublin Docklands Development Authority was being long-fingered by Mr Gormley. Undoubtedly, more will be heard about these matters.
Coalition governments invariably are difficult to manage. And when those governments are also deeply unpopular, tensions become acute. The Green Party took a terrible hammering in last year’s local elections and, later, renegotiated the terms of the programme for government as its price for remaining in office. Since then, strict discipline has been displayed and members supported the establishment of Nama and an extremely tough budget. But if formal agreements with Fianna Fáil are being breached, then all bets must be off.
Ms de Búrca’s complaint that the Greens have become an obedient “add-on” to Fianna Fáil, because of ministerial ambition and the fear of a general election, has always been the standard grumble within supporting political parties. That does not make the objection less potent. It requires delicate handling. In an earlier government, Mr Cowen’s brusque “if in doubt, leave them out” attitude towards the Progressive Democrats proved terminally damaging. On this occasion, his apparent failure to deliver on a job-offer in Brussels with the new Irish commissioner almost certainly contributed to Ms de Búrca’s chagrin.
Members of the Green Party parliamentary party have closed ranks and voted full support in Mr Gormley’s leadership. In doing so, they followed the lead given by Fine Gael earlier this week. Fianna Fáil has been similarly affected. Three TDs have left the parliamentary party since 2007. In all cases, failure has been attributed to the individuals, rather than to the system they rejected. Dissatisfaction is growing with the political system and the effectiveness of government, as part of a general reaction to the economic crisis. And while all parties acknowledged that change is desirable, these resignations should encourage a more open public debate on what is required.