pub he predicted the massive growth of the internet. Dáil At the 1997 general election, Gormley became the third Green candidate elected to Dáil Éireann – after a week-long re-count with Michael McDowell, which he won by 27 votes. Gormley and Trevor Sargent served as the only Green Party TDs between 1997 and 2002. He retained his seat at the 2002 general election, increasing his vote and taking the first seat in his constituency, though McDowell gained the most number of first preferences. In the Dáil, on 15 October 1998, after Gormley declared that the Greens were the only party not to take money from the banks, Brian Cowen called him ‘an incorrigible incorruptible’. In 1998, he spoke against Ireland's participation in the Eurozone, stating that a monetary union without a fiscal union made no sense. In the same debate he predicted that the Euro could lead to the ‘disintegration of the Union’ because of ‘the rise of extreme elements in Europe’. In the same debate he accused the Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy and the opposition of ‘overheating’ the economy. In 2002, the business of the Dáil was suspended in uproar when Gormley insisted on getting an answer to his question regarding a tax on plastic bags. He retained his seat at the 2002 general election, increasing his vote and taking the first seat in his constituency, though McDowell gained the most number of first preferences. He was elected to the newly created post of party Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of the Green Party in 2002, and re-elected in late 2004 with 80% of the party vote. He proposed some of the major changes to the party structures such as the name change (from Green Alliance to Green Party); the need to have a party leader was suggested by Sargent. On 16 May 2007, during the run up to the 2007 general election, Gormley emerged from a crowd of journalists to confront Michael McDowell, while he was unveiling a poster saying 'Left-Wing Government? No Thanks'. Gormley repeatedly requested McDowell to admit that the accompanying pamphlet on the matter was awash with lies. The incident fronted the evening's main news and the footage subsequently circulated on the Internet. Gormley was re-elected at the 2007 general election, beating McDowell for the last seat by 304 votes. Following the election he led negotiations with Fianna Fáil on forming a government. The programme for government was