The Green Party leader says he expects members of his party to back plans for a coalition government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

All three parties are balloting their members on the programme for government and are expected to announced result on Friday week.

The Greens arguably have the hardest task, with party rules meaning they need the approval of two-thirds of their membership.

    
On The Pat Kenny Show, Eamon Ryan said the programme is “very green” and aims to address climate change and biodiversity loss in a fair and balanced way.

"We know we have to address issues like climate change and loss of biodiversity," he said.

"The question is can we do that in a way that creates an economy that is fairer. That is more secure and involves everyone in a really balanced way."

A scene in County Tipperary on 30-11-2018. Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

He said there is no time to waste when it comes to the environment.

“If you are concerned about climate and we are – all of us, I think the Irish people are – there is a real recognition that now is the time, we can’t delay,” he said.

“The practical changes that have been agreed on this programme for government are very real and were a lot of the things that Extinction Rebellion were looking for.

“First of all, turning off the pipe in terms of fossil fuels coming in and instead turning on the tap of renewable power, which we have at scale, particularly in offshore wind.

“We are talking scale beyond anything done before which could actually give us a very secure supply of energy into the future and indeed, if we connect that to the rest of Europe gives us a role in the north western Europe electricity system.”

File photo of Neasa Hourigan. Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Four members of the Greens Parliamentary Party refused to back the deal before it went to wider party on Monday.

The party’s finance spokesperson Neasa Hourigan has warned that she may not be able to endorse, despite being one of those who negotiated it.

Deputy Ryan said he has no problems with members to the party airing their concerns.

“We should all be careful and not just be blindly optimistic,” he said. “From my mind, I am very much advocating that our members vote yes because I think it is an opportunity for us to serve and I believe the issues we want to address can’t wait,” he said.

“But if I went in thinking it was all going to be rosy and that there are not risks and there aren’t downsides well that would be very foolish – so I don’t mind hearing those different voices.”

The Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe arrive at Government Buildings, 15-06-2020. Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images

He agreed that the programme involves a high level of spending at a time when the country’s finances have been ravaged by COVID-19; however, he noted that the strategy has wide support.

“I don’t hear many dissenting voices from the economics community or indeed other political parties,” he said.

“I think, in these particular circumstances, what we need to do is to stimulate our economy to get it back working.

“The right approach is to actually borrow money – and we can still borrow quite cheaply, long-term and I think it is appropriate to do that – to invest it in stimulating the economy and getting people back to work.”

He said a recent poll indicated that a large number of Green Party voters supported the deal – and said he expects the membership to agree.

He also said he hopes and expects to remain as Green Party leader in the party’s upcoming election.

You can listen back to the full interview here: