John Gormley

A new version of John Gormley’s address to the Green Party National Convention in Galway has been posted on Google Video. This version is superior to the earlier footage posted on YouTube, which only featured one camera angle. This version has wider shots of the audience and convention stage, and includes the entire speech in one clip:

Update: This version is now available on YouTube also.

John Gormley’s speech to the Green Party convention has been posted on YouTube. Because of the 10-minute limit on video clips on YouTube, it has been split into two 7-minute sections.

Part 1:

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John Gormley TD gave his Cathaoirleach’s address to the Green Party/Comhaontas Glas National Convention in Galway on Saturday 24th February 2006.

Listen to an audio recording of the speech.

The full text of the speech is available below. (more…)

Speech delivered by John Gormley TD at the Westwood Hotel, 5th September 2006

The Green Party has always had influence disproportionate to its size. Look at how we have already changed the political agenda. We were the first party to call for the closure of Sellafield while other parties didn’t actually see it as an issue; the first party to call for the banning of the bituminous coal in Dublin; the first to call for the plastic bag levy; the first party to call for light rail. (more…)

John Gormley raised this issue in the Dáil last night by way of an adjournment debate. The full text of John’s speech and the Minister’s reply is included below. (more…)

John Gormley TD gave his Cathaoirleach’s address to the Green Party/Comhaontas Glas National Convention in Kilkenny on Saturday 25th March 2006. The speech was titled The Experience to Do Things Better.

Listen to an audio recording of the speech.

DEPUTY GORMLEY: Thank you very much, Chairman. And I would like to thank the Taoiseach for coming here this morning and addressing the Forum. I have four points, Chairperson. First of all, in relation to sustainability, Taoiseach, would you accept that given the scale of the ecological problems that we are facing that the draft Treaty falls far short of what is actually required? And are you aware that the largest eight environmental organisations in Europe have produced a document it is entitled Towards a Green EU Constitution, which makes proposals on how we can improve the draft constitution? And would you be prepared to look at these proposals in the context of the IGC? (more…)

DEPUTY GORMLEY: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I would like to thank the Minister for his statement here this morning. I would also like to pay tribute to my fellow representatives on the Convention and, of course, to the civil servants who provided such marvellous back up and I could see the Trojan work they do and it was certainly exemplified at the Convention. I think it has been a most interesting experience and from a personal point of view I was delighted to meet people who were working towards more democracy within Europe. There is a group there called Direct Democracy and I drafted up a proposal for a referendum, a Europe wide referendum which unfortunately did not get through, but I am very glad to say our proposal for a citizens initiative did get through and there is a million signatures can now be put to the Commission consisting of eight countries and that proposal will be accepted. And I hope the Minister agress with me that that is a step in the right direction. I also believe that the Convention method has worked, although I believe that the definition of consensus at times needs to be clarified, because certainly I worked hard on the Defence Working Group and there were certain points, and the Minister has referred to them, where there was no consensus. But, you know, that is perhaps for another day. (more…)

MR. GORMLEY: Thank you Chairman. I would like to thank Kirsty for her contribution and I found, in fact, that I agreed with most of it. The Laeken declaration talked about simplifying Europe and bringing it closer to the people. Now I don’t think that the Convention has succeeded in doing that. In fact, what we are getting is more complication and we are adding to the existing Treaties and I think this is inevitable because if it is based, and if each treaty negotiation is based on the premise of ever closer union, then, of course, you are going to get further integration which has meant further centralisation, which means less power for smaller states, less equality and less democracy. I think all of this is reflected in the new institutional changes or the ones that are being proposed in the articles and I agree with Kirsty in that the election, so-called election of the President is not democratic, and indeed the same applies to the new Foreign Minister. We are talking here about thirteen of the twenty-five member states being able, that represents 60% of a population being able to vote in these people. So this clearly represents again a shift of power to the larger states. There could be no question about that. (more…)

MR. J. GORMLEY: Mr. Chairman, Ministers, Members of the Oireachtas, Members of the Forum, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity this morning to talk about these important issues. An EU Common and Security policy must be based on pro-active conflict prevention by peaceful means, in full cooperation with the UN and fully accountable to the European Parliaments. This should be founded on the twin beliefs that (a) The international settlement of disputes should rest solely with the United Nations and must be based on the UN Charter principles of international law (b) Security must be broadly defined with conflict prevention measures being directed at the full range of social, economic, political and environmental issues that breed insecurity, injustice and war. (more…)