Defence Questions, Europe Day, European Greens
Tuesday mornings are always busy with Planning and Parliamentary Party meetings. This afternoon I had a priority question for Willie O’Dea regarding the Easter commemoration. According to Willie, the event cost the taxpayer 320,000 euro and was good value for money. He made it clear it would become an annual event, as I had expected. I had to leave when oral questions came up as I had an on-site meeting regarding Ringsend park.
It’s Europe day. We agreed at the PP to join the European Movement. We have always been a pro-European party, but that point is often lost when we criticise the direction in which the EU is heading.
Good news too from Tommy Simpson, who was elected to the committee of the European Greens on the weekend in Helsinki. This is the first time we have had someone on the committee. The German Greens had promised their votes and delivered. Great credit is due to their co-leader Reinhard Bütikofer, with whom I met in Berlin in January. I told Reinhard about our disappointment with the behaviour of some European Greens at the Dublin conference last year. It took place before the referendums in France and Holland. The results shocked a lot of European Greens and there has been a noticeable change of attitude since then. They’re listening to those Greens who have concerns. The French Greens are split down the middle and there’s a terrible legacy of bitterness following the referendum defeat.
Local Dublin South East Greens meeting tonight, followed by meeting of Sandymount residents.