Friday 26.11 | Online (all sessions will take place in the Sunflower room)
14:15 – 14:30Opening Address
Hazel Chu, Green Party Cathaoirleach
14:30 – 16:30Voting on Motions, commencing with Non-Technical Motions
16:30 – 17:15Women's Role in Peace - Empowering women’s voices in politics and peace-making
In this session chaired by Minister Catherine Martin TD, the panel will discuss the crucial role women have played in peacebuilding, particularly in the context of Northern Ireland, and the role of women in strengthening North-South cooperation across our shared island. They will also explore how we can best support and empower women’s voices both in politics and peace-making into the future.
17:15 – 17:45 Music Break
17:45 – 18:30Defenders of the Earth - Protecting activists at risk
In many parts of the world being an environmentalist or a Green politician can be literally life-threatening. More than 200 activists were murdered in 2019 in one of the deadliest years on record for climate advocates, with many more subject to torture, kidnapping, arbitrary detention, and intimidation. Join Green Party Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Senator Vincent P Martin; Green Party Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, Claudia Lopez; UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor; and the President of the Democratic Green Party in Rwanda, Frank Habineza; for a discussion on how Ireland can help protect these environmental activists.
18:30 – 20:00EC Hustings - Candidates for the 2021 -2022 Executive Committee
Online EC candidate hustings, including candidate speeches and a Q&A based on commonly posted member questions
Executive Committee candidates can be viewed here
20:00 – 22:00Online Voting in the EC election
20:00 – 21:00Beyond economics - Introducing a wellbeing framework to Ireland
The wellbeing of our nation goes beyond the narrow confines of economic growth. Measures such as environmental quality, work life balance, health, housing, social connections, etc. define our lives as much, if not more than, GPD, or GNI. As we move to implement wellbeing indicators as part of our Programme for Government commitment, what can we learn from other jurisdictions? Join Neasa Hourigan TD, Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD and a panel of experts to hear about the practical next steps toward introducing a wellbeing framework.
21:00 – 21:15Leader’s closing address
Saturday 27.11| Online
PARALLEL SESSIONS FROM 10:45
09:00 – 09:15 Cathaoirleach Opening Address
Hazel Chu, Green Party National Chair
09:15 – 09:45Address by Mar Garcia, Secretary General of the European Greens
09:45 - 10:15 Sustainable Development Goals - International co-operation in the implementation on SDGs
Minister Eamon Ryan TD and David Donoghue discuss the implementation in SDGs and the future role of international co-operation and how Ireland can play its part.
10:15 – 10:45 Music Break
Parallel Online Sessions
Sunflower Room
10:45 – 11:45Shaking up the system - Separating church and state in education
The Green Party believes that there should be equality in our education system regardless of religion and non-religion. In Ireland, 90% of schools are Catholic, 5% have another religious denomination, and just 5% are multi-denominational. Join Education Spokesperson Senator Pauline O’Reilly, UCD Director of STEM Teacher Education, Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabhán, Educational columnist Jennifer Horgan, ISSU Education Officer Jack McGinn and Education Equality campaigner Paddy Monahan to look at a shake-up of the education system to better reflect society.
Green Room
10:45 – 11:45 The future is green – A strategic plan for the years ahead
What does the Green Party stand for? Green Party National Coordinator Dr Bláithín Gallagher will present an overview of the new strategic plan which sets out a roadmap for the Party to 2024. Keynote speaker, CEO of Rethink Ireland Deirdre Mortell, will then talk about opportunities and challenges for the Green Party at this critical moment.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
11:45 – 12:45How do we move to a circular economy? – Challenges and successes in making the switch
The Green Party is working towards a circular economy, involving a radical change to production and consumption, limiting single-use products and clamping down on littering and dumping, among other measures. Minister of State Ossian Smyth discusses the challenges and successes in moving to a circular economy, and the practical issues behind making the switch.
Green Room
11:45 – 12:45Supporting a community response to crime and anti-social behaviour
There is a rise in youth crime and concerns about anti-social behaviour from gangs of young people. The standard response is to increase policing, but communities need more - policing alone won’t solve these problems. We need to look at the wider issues and root causes of crime and antisocial behaviour. Justice Spokesperson Patrick Costello TD looks at youth work, Garda youth aversion projects and social route responses as part of justice and policing policy.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
12:45 – 13:45 Offshore wind – Developing clean energy for Ireland while protecting our coastal communities and environment
Our marine environment is precious, valuable, and vulnerable. Offshore wind has the potential to be a major part of our efforts to decarbonise our economy. At the same time, the Green Party is committed to ensuring development takes place alongside competing interests at sea and is inclusive of coastal communities. In this session, Steven Matthews TD and Grace O’Sullivan MEP will discuss forthcoming legislation on marine planning, marine protected areas, and new arrangements for managing the grid which will shape how offshore wind develops in Ireland.
Green Room
12:45 – 13:45Younger voices in politics – The role of Young Greens in local government and community activism
The Young Greens are at the forefront of the Green Party’s commitment to bringing younger voices into politics. In this session, Young Green members Cllr Séafra O'Faoláin, Cllr Darcy Lonergan and Cllr Daniel Whooley discuss their experience in local government, how they got involved, and the challenges they have faced. This event will provide members with an understanding of the local council electoral system in Ireland, its structure and ways to get involved in local government and community politics.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
13:45 – 14:30Climate action and a just transition - The role of the community and voluntary sector
Civil society has played a huge role in mobilising public and political action on climate change at a national and international level. In Ireland, the government strategy ‘Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities’ sets out a long-term vision for our communities in Ireland. Minister of State Joe O’Brien is responsible for the implementation of the strategy which gives particular weight to the need for climate action and climate justice. The government’s new climate action plan will also see a central role for the community and voluntary sector in helping to implement climate action at a local level. The session will explore what this might look like going forward with particular reference to climate justice and the need for a just transition.
Green Room
13:45 – 14:30Brighter futures - Supporting young people as we emerge from the pandemic
The impacts of Covid have been felt across society, but few groups have been as adversely affected as our children and young people. From extended school closures to suspended social interactions, the normal lives of our youngest citizens have been upended. How do we address the time lost to our young people and tackle the asymmetric impacts in terms of education and deprivation? Green Party Spokesperson for Social Protection, Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD joins Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman TD and representatives of youth organisations to discuss how we ensure the brightest possible future for our children.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
14:30 – 15:30Rural Transport – The challenges and solutions to reducing car dependency
Spokesperson for Rural Development, Róisín Garvey leads a discussion with Brian Leddin TD, Chair of Kerry Greens and Local Area Rep for Tralee Anluan Dunne, and James O’Donoghue of TFI Local Link Waterford, to explore how rural Ireland can move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable, sustainable transport.
Green Room
14:30 – 15:30Electoral office or grassroots campaigning - The merits of each approach and where they can overlap?
Climate breakdown and the need for a socially just transition demand urgent action and wide-reaching changes in our society. In this session, MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe will sit down with a leading environmental campaigner and an elected official to debate the question of how environmental and social change can best be pursued: through political office or campaigning? The session will examine the merits of each approach, and where these efforts can overlap.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
15:30 – 16:30 A new era of affordable housing – Delivering cost rental at scale in Ireland
The Green Party ensured that cost rental housing, based on the Vienna model, is now in legislation in Ireland. How can we make sure that thousands of new cost rental homes are delivered throughout the country? Housing Spokesperson Francis Noel Duffy TD talks to the people in charge of making this happen, including Professor Michelle Norris, Chair of the Housing Finance Agency and Board member of the Land Development Agency and Declan Dunne, CEO of Respond Housing.
Green Room
15:30 – 16:30Farming with nature – Putting our land and communities first
We are at a crucial time for farming in Ireland. The EU’s and Ireland’s strategies on Farm-To-Fork, climate and biodiversity, require the agriculture sector to adapt in a significant way. Meanwhile, the role of agriculture in food security is still crucial. We must move to more localised production and consumption to build healthy resilient communities. In the discussion, Minister of State Pippa Hackett and Aoife Franklyn, Chair of the Agriculture Policy Group, discuss the need to put our land and communities first, for the benefit of our natural world and the society that depends on it.
Sunflower Room (PARALLEL SESSIONS FROM 17:30)
16:30 – 16:40 Comfort Break
16:40 – 16:50 National Coordinator Address
Blaithín Gallagher
16:50 – 17:00 Cathaoirleach Address
Hazel Chu, Green Party National Chair
17:00 – 17:15Deputy Leader’s Address
Minister Catherine Martin TD
17:15 – 17:30Leader’s Address
Minister Eamon Ryan TD
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
17:30 – 18:30 The future of biodiversity policy in Ireland – Where to from here, and how?
Ireland’s biodiversity is in need of urgent attention, and this is the decade in which to act. As the world prepares for COP15 and the global post-2020 biodiversity framework, the EU has set down clear markers for where we need to be by 2030. Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD leads a discussion on the upcoming Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity and new National Biodiversity Action Plan, and how Ireland can make the most of these opportunities.
Green Room
17:30 – 18:30The journey to net zero – Systemic change to carbon emissions and what it means for Ireland
Systematic change is needed to transform Ireland to a net zero society. What does net zero mean in the Irish context, and how will the high-level transitions be made? Green Party Spokesperson for Transport, Climate Action and Environment, Brian Leddin TD discusses the journey to net zero with Tadhg O'Mahony, Sustainability Consultant and Clare O'Connor, a policy and advocacy consultant and host of the Green Room on Dublin City FM, to explore the next steps.
Sunflower Room
18:30 – 18:45 Announcement of EC election result by ROs and trustees, appeals and treasurer announcements
Sunday 28.11 | Online
PARALLEL SESSIONS FROM 11:45
09:00 – 11:00Voting on motions continued
Hazel Chu, Green Party National Chair and Bláithín Gallagher, National Coordinator
11:00 – 11:45From Green Wave to Blue Wave – Lessons from the sea
Grace O’Sullivan MEP and Dr Easkey Britton explore what the sea means to them; their most vivid water memories; the power of neuroimaging in a multi-sensory benefit; and the concept of 'blue health' and 'blue mind’. The panel will also examine creative leadership through nature and take the audience through 'ocean breath' breathing practice and blue mindfulness exercises, cultivating a culture of care and reciprocity with the sea.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
11:45 – 12:30Green Party policies – From creation to implementation
An important way of linking the grassroots of the party with the publicly elected representatives is through connecting the members that work hard to develop our policies, with the people who work hard to implement them. Green Party members work in Policy Groups to develop policies that will form the basis for election manifestos, advocacy at local government level and much more. In this session, the Policy Committee will discuss new structures currently being developed to more closely link our public representatives with policy decisions, and invite feedback on these structures.
Green Room
11:45 – 12:30Ensuring Traveller and minority rights are included in climate decision-making
Of the 55,000 Travellers living in Ireland today, approximately 9,000 are living in inadequate, unsafe and impermanent accomodation, and face huge difficulties around health, education, employment and life opportunities. Disproportionately affected by socioeconomic inequalities, Travellers are more vulnerable to climate impacts and are reliant on fossil fuel energy. In this session, Director of the Irish Traveller Movement Bernard Joyce speaks of the importance of Travellers' views and experience for an equitable and just Climate Action Plan.
Parallel Sessions
Sunflower Room
12:30 – 13:15Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin – Affordable housing for all
Housing is the most critical issue in Ireland at the moment, spanning every sector of society and every age group. The government’s Housing for All strategy aims to give people access to high-quality housing to rent or buy at an affordable price. Green Party Housing Spokesperson Francis Noel Duffy TD, speaks to Fr Peter McVerry, Founder of the housing and homelessness charity Peter McVerry Trust about the strategy and how Green policies can effect real change in housing for Ireland.
Green Room
12:30 – 13:15Just Transition Greens – Activism within
Green politics notably involve a tension, often described as having "one foot in the parliament and one foot on the street". Lead by Co-Chair of Just Transition Greens, Cllr Lauren Kendall, this session explores that tension in teh context of the party being in government with panellists Ciárn Cuffe MEP, Neasa Hourigan TD, Prof John Barry and Cllr Oliver Moran.
13:15 – 13:45 Lunch
Sunflower Room
13:45 – 14:00Report from Treasurer and Auditor nomination
14:00 – 14:45Pluralism is possible - The case for preferential decision-making
The Green Party believes in strong grassroots democracy with multiple candidates and preferential voting. Ireland has a transferable voting system that ensures our elected figures match their public support, but in lifechanging votes such as referendums, we only have two choices – yes or no. In this session, Peter Emerson and Phil Kearney of the de Borda Institute discuss pluralism and preferential voting, and how to make voting fairer.
14:45 – 15:30The value of care in our society – Discussion with Mná Glasa
Sarah Elsaid will kick off this session with an overview of the mission of Mná Glasa, an introduction to the Mná Glasa committee and a summary of work completed this year. Next, Máire O'Higgins will introduce the new 'Green Party Wellbeing Guidelines'; and Spokesperson for Finance, Public Expenditure and Health Neasa Hourigan TD will present her thoughts on the value of care in our society explaining, how Wellbeing Indicators can inform decisions and influence policy, improving the lives of women and all Irish citizens.
15:30 – 16:00Tuarascáil an IPCC, COP26 agus na chéad chéimeanna eile - The IPCC reports, COP26 and next steps
Former Director of the Faculty of Science in Kevin Street (now part of DIT/TU Dublin), Professor Matt Hussey, joins Irish-language spokesperson, Rob O'Donnell, Senator Róisín Garvey, Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD and other Green Party Irish speakers for a discussion on the practicalities of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, following the latest assessment by the IPCC and the results of the COP26 climate conference.
16:00 – 16:30Reports of Young Greens Chair, Treasurer and Policy Chair
