Ireland's Greens seek party backing for "bad bank"

* Greens structure "bad bank" vote to win party support

* Greens will quit government if members reject programme

DUBLIN, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Ireland's Green Party will increase the likelihood its members will back the plan to purge lenders of risky property assets by creating a "bad bank", by the way it organises a vote at a party conference next week.

The Greens will ask party members to reject the scheme, expecting not to get the two-thirds 'yes' vote needed for the motion to succeed.

Prime Minister Brian Cowen needs the support of the Greens, his junior coalition partner, to steer legislation creating a National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) through parliament.

The Greens first need the approval of their rank and file at a convention on Oct. 10.

If they asked party members to support the scheme, they would need a two-thirds 'yes' vote, which might be difficult.

The Greens have already forced changes to draft legislation establishing the NAMA to reduce the risk to taxpayers from spending 54 billion euros ($78.5 billion), about a third of Gross Domestic Product, on cleansing its lenders of the legacy of a devastating property crash.

The Green Party will also vote on a revised programme for government on Oct. 10 and if that is not passed by two-thirds of its members, it will walk out of government, triggering a snap general election and leaving the "bad bank" plan in doubt.

The Greens began negotiations with Prime Minister Brian Cowen's Fianna Fail party on the revised programme this week and outlined their demands for the 2010 budget, including a carbon tax and limiting cutbacks in education. [ID:nL1481280] (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, editing by Tim Pearce)