GREEN PARTY LEADER Roderic O’Gorman has rejected the idea that his party should merge with Labour. 

The suggestion was made by Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin during a Culture Night event hosted by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin on Friday. 

He was taking part in a discussion on Ireland’s European past, present and future alongside senior IIEA researcher Emma Richardson and Barbara Nolan, former head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland.

As reported in the Irish Times, Ó Ríordáin responded to a question from the Netherlands senator Eddy Hartog by saying: “I’ll say one thing about Dutch politics … if it was a closed meeting, I might say it more readily, but I’ll say it anyway.

“Recently, the Dutch Labour Party and the Dutch Green Party have joined forces… and that’s what the Irish Labour Party and the Irish Green Party should do,” he said. 

GroenLinks and the Labour Party (PvdA) merged to become Progressief Nederland (PRO) in July, after almost 90% of members of both parties backed the move. The process began after the country’s 2021 general election results, when the parties won 17 of a possible 150 seats between them.

Ireland’s 2024 general election saw Labour increase its seats from six to 11, while the Green Party – having been in government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael – experienced a near wipeout as it went from 12 seats to just one. 

Asked about Ó Ríordáin’s proposal on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, O’Gorman said he has “great respect” for Labour, adding that the two parties work well together in the Dáil, the Seanad and at local council level.

He said the Green Party’s role is to make sure that issues like energy, climate and the environment are “always at the centre” of public discussion and political decision-making.

“We’ve sought to do that in the 45 years since we were founded. I think our distinct voice is more important than ever now, and I’m not convinced that merging with another party would allow that distinct voice still be there,” he said.

“I’m also not sure a merged party would actually do better at elections, to be honest.”

When pressed on whether that was a no, he said: “Cooperation with Labour? Cooperation with other progressive parties? Yes, but a merger isn’t on our agenda right now.”