Almost 100 people attended the launch of the Green Party’s General Election candidate, Julie O’Donoghue last week Deputy Leader of the Green Party, Catherine Martin TD addressed the crowd and said that if the Green Wave is to be successful, it must bring rural Ireland with it.
“It’s green voices who will have the experience and the know how to transition to a low carbon economy in a fair and sustainable way. We need to have that balance of thought so that every time we say something, not only are we green proofing it, we’re rural proofing it,” she said.
Candidate Julie O’ Donoghue spoke about what Green policies will mean for Galway-Roscommon:
“Going green will present many opportunities for this region but challenges due to our reliance on carbon intensive activities will need to be resolved. Greening our economy will only be possible if we can show that it can be done fairly and successfully. That is why I will prioritise a Green Deal for Roscommon-Galway.”
She spoke about the enormous potential for ecotourism and an extensive greenway for the region. She wants to significantly increase investment in public transport and she spoke about the financial and other benefits for rural areas of overhauling our energy sector.
Julie O’ Donoghue highlighted remote working opportunities as being part of the solution to lowering carbon emissions and tackling the huge issue of rural decline and unbalanced development between rural and urban areas.
She asserted that the current industrial model is not working for farmers and called for a fairer system that would benefit both farmers and the environment.
She believes that economic success needs to be measured by people’s quality of life to ensure better services in all areas, including health and housing.
She asserts that business-as-usual is not working for our region, the country or the planet and that many people are looking for a real change in politics. She believes that she can offer that and wants to be the first ever Green Party representative elected in Roscommon-Galway.
