Green Party Leader O Gorman Suggests 29 Nov As General Elections Date

Green Party leader O Gorman

Green Party leader O Gorman proposed that the General Elections date should be 29 November. Roderic O’Gorman has a reason behind it. 

He told the media that he wanted the elections to be held before Christmas. He said,

“I think the 29th is the date to go. Mr O’Gorman said he has yet to discuss the date with the other leaders of the coalition.” 

Speculations in the Leinster House reached their peak when the news started surfacing that the General Elections date might be finalised as 29 November. However, there is pressure on Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin. They have yet to make their opinions. 

Opinions of three coalition party leaders matter 

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that opinions of three coalition party leaders matter and the General Elections date would be finalised only after consulting the coalition within the next week. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Mr Martin confessed that the issue needs to be resolved soon as now is a crucial time for the future of the country. 

After Green Party leader O Gorman suggested the date, Mr Martin clarified that he would not yet confirm one. 

Mr Martin’s views about the delay in the General Elections date 

He said that he was waiting for the Finance Bill into legislation which, according to him, was the “key”. He realised that this was the only issue. 

Mr Martin knows that there is a lot of work that needs to be done before general elections as they are here for the representation of Irish people. 

He believes that the Planning Bill would make a difference for the housing infrastructure in Ireland. It would make a foundation for getting things done that have become a national dilemma in the past few months, he said. 

He knows that the Finance Bill needs to get done fast and in a proper manner. It would help in setting the direction of Ireland’s future on the basis of which the next elected government would work. 

Moreover, he remarked that O’Gorman seems to be in a hurry and wants to get it done earlier. He notified that Taoiseach would have his say as well and that they need to wait for the final decision when all of the opinions contribute after the Finance Bill. 

He assured that certain things need to be dealt with before next week so that discussion on the General Elections date should be initiated by then. 

One more important thing that he added was that he had always wanted the election date to be in February. In this way, the current government would get time to complete its term. However, December wouldn’t make much of a difference, Mr Martin agreed. 

He rationalised that Roderic O’Gorman might have become too excited for the General Elections date as he wants it to be as early as 29 November. Micheál Martin said, “Politics is politics- I’m not too excited about it”. 

Green Party leader O Gorman wants clarity for Irish people 

Green Party leader O Gorman said that he would discuss the matter with Taoiseach and Tánaiste after the weekend. Till then, he believes that Irish people should be given clarity on the matter. 

He was of the view that if the matter keeps delaying then people would “get sick and tired” when they would see no sense in the delay. 

He told the media, “Now is the time to bring some degree of certainty to the Irish people in terms of the election date”. 

Green Party leader O Gorman
Green Party Leader O Gorman and Simon Harris (Source: The Journal)

He decided that when he meets the other two leaders on Monday, he will put forward his preference of 29 November for the General Elections in Ireland.

According to him, it would give them time to look into the matters of legislation and get its final pieces in place. 

Some Bills need to be sorted out before the revelation of the Elections date 

The Maternity Protection Bill and Hate Crime legislation need to be aligned before the announcement of the General Elections date. The Maternity Protection Bill, which is anticipated to be passed next week, would grant women an extension of their maternity leave. 

Hate Crime legislation which is about hate speech and relevant incitement in Ireland is also passing through the Oireachtas next week. 

Although O’Gorman feels that the Finance Bill needs more detailed work, if it is completed in the next three weeks, it would give time for the elections to be held till his proposed date. 

If the pending bills are completed on schedule, the measures that were previously outlined in the Budget this month will come into effect. The elected government would have time to work on them and contemplate their future strategies to achieve the budget targets in the coming months, he cited. 

On the other hand, Simon Harris said that he had been appointed to the said position for just over six months and some work needs to be finished that is underway before the announcement of the elections date. 

He is looking forward as much as any other person in Ireland for a better future and wants them to give him an opportunity for another mandate. It would be best to make this government and the next government work well, he said. 

Minister of Finance, Jack Chambers’ viewpoints on the Finance Bill 

Mr Chambers said that it would be better if Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Green Party leader O Gorman came together to discuss the “sequencing” of the Finance Bill and the General Elections date in the presence of Oireachtas Finance Committee in November. 

He opened up that he had no issues in having elections before Christmas and he is always available for discussion with party leaders on the matter. However, there is quite a narrow timeframe for sorting out the pending issues, he said. 

He mentioned,

“I expect the Finance Bill to go before the Oireachtas on 5 November. The sequencing after that will be a matter for the party leaders’ discussions and I can consider the specific timeframe on the Finance Bill in the aftermath of the discussions the party leaders will have”. 

Whatever the decision for the final date of the General Elections is, he told that Oireachtas is prepared for having a new government in early Spring anyway. 

The final say is that of Taoiseach 

The Minister of Further and Higher Education said that there is only one person who has the ultimate privilege for deciding about the final General Elections date, and that is Taoiseach. 

Green Party leader O Gorman
Minister of Further and Higher Education, Patrick O’Donovan (Source: Irish Examiner)

The Minister of Higher Education, Patrick O’Donovan, explained that while people are waiting for the date, different people have their own thoughts. It is like “trying to pick a sinner of the 6.15 at Sandown” which seems to be an absolute waste of time, he said. 

He thought that whenever Simon Harris would believe is the right time for the election, he would give the date. Patrick O’Donovan is hopeful and has confidence in Simon Harris would think best for the country. All the pending matters would be rightfully completed before the announcement of the election date under the leadership of Simon Harris, O’Donovan said. 

He continued to say that even if it was a pre-Christmas election date, it would be fine with him. He knew that in the game of politics, every person needs to be ready for “Dáil to collapse at any drop of a hat”, particularly when it is about a coalition government. 

He has seen this government work well together but with every new government, there always is a new possibility to make things better. Hence, a new coalition would be expected, even if the government had come out of “rocky waters”, “cost of living crisis” or the troubles of managing the country’s finances within a short time.

FAQs

1. What date has Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman proposed for the General Elections?

  • Roderic O’Gorman has proposed that the General Elections be held on 29 November.

2. Why does O’Gorman want the elections to be held before Christmas?

  • O’Gorman believes holding elections before Christmas would provide clarity to the Irish people and allow for the finalization of important legislative matters before the holiday season.

3. Have the coalition leaders discussed the proposed date?

  • O’Gorman stated that he has yet to discuss the date with other coalition leaders, Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin, but plans to do so after the weekend.

4. What is Micheál Martin’s stance on the proposed election date?

  • Micheál Martin emphasized that the opinions of all three coalition party leaders are important, and any decision on the election date would be made after consulting with them. He also indicated that the Finance Bill must be finalized before determining the election date.

5. Why is the Finance Bill significant in this context?

  • The Finance Bill is crucial because it sets the financial direction for the country, impacting the next elected government’s policies and operations. Martin mentioned that resolving this legislation is key before elections can be held.

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