Eamon Ryan resigns before the General Election.

No.

Being the 3rd party in a Government is always going to be difficult. In losing Cuffe and O'Sullivan we lost our two best and most proactive and hardworking MEPs.

Say what you like about Ryan, but in his two terms in government he has been a truly reforming minister. He believes that the planet is in trouble because of climate change, and he has done his bit in trying to change that here. Enormous investment in rail, flat fares across Dublin, supportive of the ESB's semi-state mandate to deliver offshore wind etc etc.

He seems to be a figure of hate for farmers, but the reality is they are being squeezed not by the Green Party, but by multinationals who are paying them less and less for their produce.

History will look very kindly on him.

Ryan is one of the least worst options. There are some seriously charmless people in the Green Party who don't quite understand how unlovely they are.

Remember when certain Greens rounded on Ryan and falsely accused him of being a racist? As part of a failed heave.

The "rules" of public discourse (which many people do not accept, in fact) allow you to heap utterly outrageous accusations on people and put them on the defensive regarding "sexism and racism".

However only a total fool would fail to realise how this makes them look in the eyes of people who are not themselves vicious careerists. Then after the failed heave Ryan had to be a 'good sport' about it because he didn't want to blow up the party.

Tax, tax, tax.

That’s all they’ve got to achieve their agenda.

Anyone remember the cringe splitter party ‘An Rabharta Glas – Green Left’? That was going to have Saoirse McHugh and some other disgruntled Green tearaways.

From the leaks:

'ARG believes it should “be slightly obnoxious/sassy at most times and de-emphasise politeness”. The document claims the Social Democrats will be “put out” by the launch of ARG and that the new party should be “a little bit edgier”. Plenary minutes from a meeting on December 6 show members being told “everyone go read Marx”.

A draft strategic plan says the party will take an “intersectional, anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist approach to all policy matters'

Yeah, it makes sense for Ryan to stay until after the general elections - it's hard to see any better results coming their way soon and then a new leader can try to rebuild from whatever is left afterwards.

Unless the general elections aren't until next year, then Ryan will probably stay on until then.

Just an opinion, though - I can't say for certain what will happen.

If you look at their results in local elections going back over the years, it's not actually a bad result but 2019 was a Green wave so was a record year. It's all relative. They won 12 seats in last general election also.

The tide tends to come in and out on the Green Party, because they don't have a core base who votes for regardless like other parties. 2019 was high tide, at the moment the tides going out.

Eamon Ryan will stay until next election at least. He's knee deep in a bunch of important public transport projects so I think he wants to get them over the line like Metrolink, BusConnects, Dart+, pedestrianising more of Dublin, Cork urban rail, local link etc...

The backlog in ABP is slowing a lot of his plans.

I'd imagine the Green Party will lose most of their 12 TDs in next election but it's hard to say. Catherine Martin is guaranteed to keep her seat as her constituency is gaining a seat, but after that it's impossible to call. Eamon Ryan could lose his seat.

I've a feeling SF won't do as well as expected. I think people are beginning to realise they're the Emperor's new clothes.

Green Party might hold 3 seats and can rebuild from there.

It would be hugely ironic if Martin keeps her seat. Surely one of the most ineffective ministers in years, across all her briefs.

Ryan is on the moderate side of the greens.

If he steps down as leader they will be obliterated as the more progressive faction takes over the party and alienates what little voterbase they had.

No, I'd rather he stay and be humbled come GE.

97% of the public didn't ask to be dictated to by these zealots tax policies. Then you have ROG's immigration mess, and Martin's RTE & tourism fiascos. If ever a party needed to learn that life isn't a Disney movie.

Back to the wilderness now until they can convert and ride the wave of the next generation of adolescents

Yes, democracy is such a drag.

Yes it is.. well said.

We had that weak argument every St. Patrick's Day.

If he refused to do his job as a minister representing Ireland abroad we'd most likely see him being criticised too.

It didn't matter a damn what their MEPs did, they lost their seats because of the domestic Green performance. Ryan can stay or go, it won't have any effect in a GE.

what do you expect him to do? Cycle? He was leading EU negotiations.

Is he right about the risks of climate change? Yes

Does farming have a role in addressing it? Yes but they need a bit more common sense in how they go about it.

Should there be greater investment in public transport and better planning? Yes.

Does this mean no investment in roads? No - on this he needs to be a bit more balanced.

The greens have done a reasonable job in Govt. I would like to see them keep their seats as they are different to other parties and they are certainly better for the country than a truck load of Healy-Rae’s.