Results coming in for the local elections show the Green Party 'isn't going away', a re-elected Dublin City Councillor has said.
Hazel Chu was speaking as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael battle it out to be the largest party in the local elections while Sinn Fein are not making the gains that many expected.
The Greens are doing better than expected with Councillor Chu holding onto her seat in Dublin City.
Independents are performing very well and their gain seems to be Sinn Féin's loss with the party admitting it is not racking up the votes it had hoped for.
'We've shown we can push the climate agenda [...] and constituencies will vote for the Greens'@greenparty_ie's @hazechu reacts to getting elected in #LE24 #LE24 #Elections2024 @ElectionNT @andreagilligan pic.twitter.com/OpFemp2zqp
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) June 8, 2024
Councillor Chu told Newstalk it is a good day across the board.
"It's a very good here; across the board in Dublin city we've done well," she said.
"It's good and positive.
"I think we've shown that we can push the climate agenda and push sustainable transport - and still the constituents in Pembroke, and across various constituencies in Dublin City, will vote for the Greens.
"They understand the emergency that is the climate crisis".
Hazel Chu reacts as she is re-elected a Dublin City Councillor for the Green Party, 8-6-24. Image: Sheila Naughton/NewstalkCllr Chu said the party is running candidates in a lot of places that would not traditionally be green.
"I think we had a lot of candidates that were very, very good but they were in seats that are normally not Green turning," she said.
"But if you look at their tallies they didn't do badly.
"It maybe mixed fortunes but I think it shows a beginning for our green shots again".
'Mixed fortunes' for Green Party
Cllr Chu said the Greens are looking beyond the capital city.
"If you see Kerry, for example, and Dingle that normally wouldn't have a Green seat.
"But we're doing very strong there at the moment.
"It may be mixed fortunes but it does show that the Greens are not going away".
On the European Parliament chances for Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O'Sullivan, Cllr Chu said it could be close.
"We know [the European Parliament election] is very hard and it's all to play for when it comes down to transfers," she said.
"This is what's going to happen when you look at transfers," she added.
The counting of European Parliament ballots begins on Sunday.
