New Green Party leader to replace Eamon Ryan to be named by July 8 as fast-track contest proposed

The party’s executive committee proposed an expedited leadership contest after Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman and Junior Biodiversity Minister Pippa Hackett announced their candidacies.

In a statement, the party said: “Nominations for the forthcoming leadership contest can be submitted from 9am Thursday until 9pm on Monday. The name or names of those seeking to become leader will be made public on the morning of Tuesday, June 25.”

Ms Hackett was the first to receive public endorsements from Senator Pauline O’Reilly and junior minister Ossian Smyth.

However, it was Mr O’Gorman who announced his candidacy first with a social media video setting out his history with the party.

His post was followed by endorsements from parliamentary party colleagues including Malcolm Noonan, Marc Ó Cathasaigh, Patrick Costello and Joe O’Brien. He also received the backing of several councillors.

Ms Hackett’s supporters insisted the party needed its first leader from outside Dublin because all previous leaders were from the capital.

Throughout the day the Offaly senator received further support for her campaign from rural Green TDs Brian Leddin and Steven Matthews.

In his first public appearance as a candidate, Mr O’Gorman said he had “never been afraid of hard work” as he laid out his stall for becoming the next Green Party leader.

Speaking to RTÉ’s News At One, he said he had “progressed major pieces of legislation” during his time in the Cabinet and had the “experience and vision” to lead the party.

He said the party had delivered in government but said “small parties take a hit in government, but that hit is worth it if you are able to deliver real change”.

“It’s all very well for parties on the progressive left to argue about change, but you have to take the risk of going into government – and we saw that risk two weekends ago when we did lose seats. We did lose good people.

“Small parties, they take a hit in government but that hit is worth it if you are able to deliver real change.”

In response to the argument that the party now needs a leader from rural Ireland, Mr O’Gorman said the party had done a lot of work for those rural communities in terms of broadband, transport and the diversification of income streams for farmers. He added that the idea the Green message was not resonating must be addressed by the party.

Mr O’Gorman also defended his role in ­advocating for a “Yes-Yes” vote in the family and care referendums on behalf on the Government.

“I and the rest of [the] Government made the case. The electorate didn’t accept the case that we made. They didn’t see the urgency of the changes. They didn’t see, they didn’t believe that the changes would be as significant as we argued and they gave us the answer.

“I was disappointed but I accept in a referendum people have a binary choice and they made the choice not to make those particular changes,” he said.

He added he had “listened” to groups and disability rights organisations on the importance of ratifying the optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Appearing on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder, Ms Hackett said she would be putting her name forward and that her different life experiences could make the party “relevant and relatable”.

She said the party needed a “fresh start”, which she believed she could offer.

“I’m not your conventional Green. I live in rural Ireland. I’m a beef and sheep farmer. I am also a mother and have also been a cabinet minister for the past four years.

“The party has never had a non-Dublin leader, we’ve never had a woman lead the party and I believe my different perspective and my different life experiences can make the Green Party relevant inside and outside of Dublin.”

Asked later on RTÉ’s Drivetime about her chances of winning a Dáil seat in Offaly in the next general election, or in a by-election following Barry Cowen’s move to Europe, Ms Hackett said there was no safe seat for the Green Party outside of Dublin.

“That is exactly the problem we have with the party. Right now, there is no safe seat outside of Dublin to be honest.

“And like many of my colleagues, I will be in the mix for a seat in Offaly, as will other colleagues across the country. And I think therein lies the problem – if we have any couple of safe seats, they are going to be in Dublin.”