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| Irish Greens vote on crucial deal | Irish Greens vote on crucial deal |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| About 600 Green Party delegates have voted on whether to accept a new programme for government and plans to deal with toxic debts in Irish banks. | About 600 Green Party delegates have voted on whether to accept a new programme for government and plans to deal with toxic debts in Irish banks. |
| A two-thirds majority is needed or it will fail, causing the collapse of the Republic of Ireland's coalition. | A two-thirds majority is needed or it will fail, causing the collapse of the Republic of Ireland's coalition. |
| Talks between the Greens and government partner, Fianna Fail, on Friday saw a new programme for government agreed. | Talks between the Greens and government partner, Fianna Fail, on Friday saw a new programme for government agreed. |
| The deal means third-level education fees will not be introduced and 500 extra teachers will be hired. | The deal means third-level education fees will not be introduced and 500 extra teachers will be hired. |
| Party leader John Gormley said that the changes in education were being backed by the teachers' unions. | Party leader John Gormley said that the changes in education were being backed by the teachers' unions. |
| The former Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the deal that had been secured was better than many people expected. | The former Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the deal that had been secured was better than many people expected. |
| The meeting between Fianna Fail, the larger coalition party, and the Greens on Friday lasted several hours longer than expected before agreement was reached on the main stumbling blocks of education and political reform. | The meeting between Fianna Fail, the larger coalition party, and the Greens on Friday lasted several hours longer than expected before agreement was reached on the main stumbling blocks of education and political reform. |
| Proposals also include work experience in government departments for 1,000 graduates. | Proposals also include work experience in government departments for 1,000 graduates. |
| On political reform, the Greens' two key demands have been met - a ban on corporate donations and the introduction of a system of vouched expenses for politicians. | On political reform, the Greens' two key demands have been met - a ban on corporate donations and the introduction of a system of vouched expenses for politicians. |
| Office | Office |
| The document is designed to provide the basis for government action until the end of its term of office in 2012. | The document is designed to provide the basis for government action until the end of its term of office in 2012. |
| About 50 members of Union of Students in Ireland gathered outside the RDS in Dublin to urge Green Party members to vote in favour of the new programme, while other protestors called on the Greens to pull out of government. | |
| The Greens, who entered the Irish government in 2007 for the first time, were all but wiped out in local elections in June amid public anger over the administration's handling of a severe recession. | The Greens, who entered the Irish government in 2007 for the first time, were all but wiped out in local elections in June amid public anger over the administration's handling of a severe recession. |
| Recent polls in the Republic have suggested that the coalition partners would perform very badly in a general election. | Recent polls in the Republic have suggested that the coalition partners would perform very badly in a general election. |
| On the National Asset Management Agency - the repository for the so-called "toxic loans" dragging down the Republic's banking system - the programme proposes that if a loss is made over time, a levy would be imposed to recoup the cost to taxpayers. | On the National Asset Management Agency - the repository for the so-called "toxic loans" dragging down the Republic's banking system - the programme proposes that if a loss is made over time, a levy would be imposed to recoup the cost to taxpayers. |
| Participating institutions will be obliged to offer a deposit account which will be ringfenced for lending to environmentally-friendly projects. | Participating institutions will be obliged to offer a deposit account which will be ringfenced for lending to environmentally-friendly projects. |
| Other measures include the declaration of the Republic of Ireland as a GM-free zone; working towards the deployment of 6,000 electric vehicles over the next three years; the introduction of a civil partnership bill before the end of the year and an end to long-term homelessness by the end of 2010. | Other measures include the declaration of the Republic of Ireland as a GM-free zone; working towards the deployment of 6,000 electric vehicles over the next three years; the introduction of a civil partnership bill before the end of the year and an end to long-term homelessness by the end of 2010. |