7 November 2002

PRESS RELEASE

“ABOLISH DUAL MANDATE NOW” SAYS GREEN PARTY

The Green Party is calling on the Minister for the Environment Martin Cullen TD to immediately introduce a ban on elected members holding positions in both the Oireachtas and Local Authorities.

The Party has obtained an Adjournment Debate this evening in the Dáil to discuss the issue.

Green Party Environment spokesperson,  Ciaran Cuffe T.D. said today,   “Our Party is leading by example on the dual mandate issue.  “By the end of this year our six TDs will each have resigned their Local Authority Seats.   Already four of us have resigned and new Green councilors are in place.   Selection conventions for replacements for the remaining two seats will be held within a matter of weeks.”

The Green Party will table its own Private Members Bill early in the new year if the Government fails to move forward with its own proposals.

Mr. Cuffe said that “Holding Council and Oireachtas seats weakens Local Government.  The end of the dual mandate should liberate Oireachtas members from the 'clientelist' school of politics which has dominated Irish political life for too long. It should also allow local councillors to concentrate on the proper development of their own local authority without always worrying about the immediate electoral effect of every decision that they make.”

“We want to see Local Government strengthened and the dual mandate abolished immediately. We are now calling on Minister Cullen to show leadership on this important issue.”