The Green Party leader has criticised Fianna Fail’s “newfound interest in climate” in a significant jab at his coalition partners.
The Greens further claimed that the Government almost collapsed due to Fianna Fail’s position on Budget negotiations on the climate and nature fund.
It comes after details of Fianna Fail’s climate action plans were reported on Saturday.
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The party is reportedly promising a junior ministry for energy along with increased investment in electric vehicle infrastructure and wind farms.
Fianna Fail is also pledging a 90% cut in EU emissions by 2040.
However, the reports were “greeted with a rueful response” from Green partners who said they spent much of the four and a half years of the coalition “battling hostility over much-needed measures”.
Green Party minister Ossian Smyth claimed Fianna Fail had to be dragged “kicking and screaming” on many environmental issues.
He added: “The last government nearly collapsed because Fianna Fail wouldn’t agree to the 3.15 billion euro Climate and Nature Fund even though it will help businesses and state bodies cut emissions while also cutting their energy bills.
“Last week, with Fine Gael, they blocked a plan coming to cabinet that would allow businesses to start preparing for how the money could be spent from 2026.”
Speaking in Dublin on Saturday, Green leader Roderic O’Gorman said: “We’re also really delighted today to see Fianna Fail’s newfound interest in the climate.
“Interesting to see their policy coming out today, but it does somewhat contrast with the approach that we found from Fianna Fail over the last four and a half years in government, and particularly demonstrated in the last weeks where they actually blocked the allocation of funding under the Nature and Climate Fund.
“So, great to see Fianna Fail talking big on climate change today, but they weren’t talking big about it even two weeks ago in cabinet.
“We would remind people that the party that has focused and prioritised climate for the last four and a half years in government, for the last 40 years as a party, has been the Green Party.”
Mr O’Gorman said he did not understand the Fianna Fail proposal to “downgrade the issue of energy” to a junior ministry.
