The Green Party prepared the ground for entry into a coalition government at its national convention in Kilkenny at the weekend even as some of its members hankered after the luxury of independence and opposition. With the latest opinion polls pointing to a hung Dáil, the party formally maintained an independent stance although the party leader, Trevor Sargent, edged towards an arrangement with Fine Gael and the Labour Party.
With six TDs and a hunger for more, the party has attempted to broaden its appeal beyond those voters who are concerned about planning, sustainability and global warming. It specifically targeted low-income families and promised to build 10,000 social houses a year. It published tax proposals aimed at creating a more equal society. And it continued to attack the close relationship between Fianna Fáil and big business, while rejecting corporate donations as a means of making political progress.
Hard choices in relation to policies and coalition partners will not have to be made until after the votes are counted in the coming general election. And members were reassured by Mr Sargent that they alone will have the final say in any such arrangements.
In the meantime, however, work is continuing on the preparation of a list of basic demands the party will put forward in any negotiations. And while these are being kept confidential, the party's broad agenda was set out in a series of policy discussions during the course of the convention.
The Green Party's economic policy provided a good example of its growing political sophistication. It reassured voters that neither income tax nor corporation tax would be increased "for the foreseeable future".
VAT rates would be reduced in order to raise the living standards of the least well-off. Necessary funding for these concessions would be provided by cutting tax reliefs on capital and property; by introducing a bank levy and by increasing the capital gains tax charge to 25 per cent. A carbon tax would also be imposed in response to global warming.
As might have been expected, the rising cost of oil and gas drove the debate on renewable energy. It gave the convention its slogan: The Energy to do it Better. Bio-fuels, wind energy and alternative sources of power all had their champions. The need for better public transport and urban planning, control of once-off housing and a more efficient use of resources all provided common ground. There were also demands from delegates for a total ban on genetically modified crops and for an embargo on US military planes using Shannon because of the Iraq war.
These are difficult times for the Green Party as it seeks to transform itself into a professional, tightly knit organisation that is pragmatic in approach while being committed to changing the ways in which we live and work. But, as energy prices rise, its message is becoming increasingly relevant.