Green Party's Dáil candidate in Roscommon quits party
Julie O'Donoghue, who received 1,400 votes in the Roscommon-Galway constituency when she stood for the Green Party in her first general election in February, has announced that she has left the party.
In a statement on social media yesterday (Tuesday) evening, the secondary school teacher from Roscommon town said the party was no longer aligned with her "values and principles or, indeed, its own policies."
Like Saoirse McHugh, another former Green candidate who announced she was leaving the party last week, Ms O'Donoghue said she would be joining the new 'Just Transition Greens' group.
She said she was hopeful that this group would "develop into a separate party committed to real system change."
Julie O'Donogue's full statement last night was as follows:
"Today I resigned my membership of the Green Party. This is not a decision that I have taken lightly and I have given it careful consideration over a number of weeks.
"I am leaving for a number of reasons but, ultimately, I no longer feel that I am a member of a party that is aligned with my own values and principles or, indeed, its own policies.
"In recent weeks, I have felt increasingly disappointed by votes and decisions taken by the party and I no longer wish to be associated with the actions of this government.
"Recent events have also further confirmed for me that the Programme for Government (that I voted against) does not reflect the transformative change that I campaigned on during the General Election and will not deliver the fair transition to a low carbon society that the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency requires.
"I have registered with the newly formed Just Transition Greens group as I want to support the people involved and the work that they are doing but it is my hope that it will develop into a separate party committed to real system change.
"I am extremely grateful to everyone who canvassed, supported and voted for me. I know that my decision has disappointed some but I am confident that it is the correct decision for me and that I am staying true to commitments that I made throughout the General Election campaign," she concluded.