Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

In tabling the motion, the Green Party has again demonstrated it lacks political maturity. Rather than construct reasoned and realistic policies based on the facts, it remains wedded to the soft option, the elevation of woolly aspiration above actual achievement. Let us call this motion what it is — a stunt. Until such time as Ireland's Greens put substance before soundbite and adopt a serious and pragmatic approach to environmental issues, as many of their European counterparts have done, they cannot and will not be taken seriously.

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