After all, that’s why Eamon Ryan is in politics. He’s not the usual careerist Teachta Dála who’s climbed that slippery pole since inheriting a family estate like some kind of heirloom.
He is not one of the political tribes that have been playing a fruitless local derby since 1922, despite the insignificance of what still divides them.
Despite all the criticism that can be leveled against him – certainly naive naivety among them – his innate decency could never be questioned. Which is what makes the tenor of abuse directed his way so bewildering. Until you think about it a little more.
The Greens did very well in the last general election, catching up an impressive 7 percent of the vote. This happened against a background of genuine popular panic over the precarious state of Mother Earth. It may also have been driven Greta Thunbergominous explanations.
At this point, Eamon Ryan could do no wrong. His Greens were ushered into government as the third leg of the chair. The sooner he set about saving us from rising waves and bloating cows, the better.
It all held up well until the Greens began to take modest steps in that direction. That means implementing the parts of their election program that have found their way into the government program. Much like the housing crisis or a united Ireland, everyone is ready for radical solutions until they realize it will either cost them or bother them.
Everyone wanted to tackle the climate crisis, until Eamon Ryan mentioned some tiny, incremental improvements like driving slower and taking shorter showers. However, it was his determination to ban the commercial sale of peat that transformed him from a figure of gentle mockery to an almost hateful figure.
It might have something to do with the place this bog fuel has in our memory and tradition, coupled with its cheapness and convenience. Or maybe voters are so accustomed to being used to scams and fakes by election time that they are offended by someone who does what they promise.
The Greens are unique in the political ecosystem. Unlike any other party, their manifestos are invariably based on rationing many of the key things we take for granted, rather than relentlessly promising extras.
Some cynics are wondering what planet Eamon Ryan is on. The answer is certainly the only one we have.
