1. Nama

The inevitable Green party convention is unlikely to force party TDs to vote against the legislation, but the Green leadership will be under pressure to put a serious stamp on the bill when it comes before the Dáil.

2. Corporate Donations

The Greens didn't get a ban on corporate donations in the original programme for government two years ago but the word is that they are looking for it to be revisited in the up-coming renegotiation. Likely to be a step too far for Fianna Fáil (unless Brian Cowen calculates that such a move would inconvenience Fine Gael more than Fianna Fáil) and might tick the boxes of a 'good issue' on which the Greens could walk from government.

3. Education Cuts

Education is as important as the environment to the Greens. They struggled to live with the cutbacks in last April's budget but more are proposed by An Bord Snip Nua. Could be a key sticking point in the negotiations.

4. Metro North

The Greens say it has to proceed but can it be afforded in the current climate?

5. Green Jobs

The Greens will be looking for a major investment in the green energy sector, creating jobs in
the process. It's a commendable goal but the Department of Finance will question where the money is going to come from to pay for it.

6. Carbon Taxes

Included in the original programme for government and tipped to happen in the upcoming budget, but Fianna Fáil may yet get antsy about what is certain to be a political hot potato.

7. Property Tax

The Greens rightly see it as a way of broadening the tax base but the growing view in cabinet is that it may not be worth the inevitable political grief.

8. Electoral Reform

The Greens are said to want a reduction in the number of TDs to 150 and the introduction of a list system to be part of the re-negotiation of the programme for government. Not likely to go down well with the Fianna Fáil backbenchers.

9. Referendum on children's rights

The Greens want one. It's desirable, but there are doubts about whether it is feasible.

10. Events, dear boy, events

History suggests that if the government does fall apart, the trigger will be something that we haven't even considered but will come out of nowhere. The Green leadership may also simply decide that the only way to secure the party's future is to walk out of an unpopular government.