Hackett launches Green Party leadership bid

Mayo native Pippa Hackett is battling to become the next leader of the Green Party.

The Ballindine woman is going head to head with Minister for Children and Integration Roderick O’Gorman in a bid to replace Eamon Ryan who announced his resignation from the role last week.

The party said it expects to reveal the name of Eamon Ryan’s replacement as leader on July 8.

Nominations for the leadership of the party opened on Thursday and the names of those standing for leader will be made public this morning (Tuesday). Candidates need 50 nominations from full party members.

Among those backing Senator Hackett are Green Party chairwoman Senator Pauline O’Reilly, Minister of State Ossian Smyth and TDs Brian Leddin and Steven Matthews. 

Mr O’Gorman took an early lead when it came to support from recently elected councillors and is being supported by Ministers of State Malcolm Noonan and Joe O’Brien as well as TDs Marc Ó Cathasaigh and Patrick Costello.

Senator Hackett, who is Minister of State with Responsibility for Forestry, said that the results of the local and European elections sparked her interest in running for party leadership.

Senator Hackett told Newstalk she believed she could be a “fresh start” for the party and played up her rural roots.

“I’m not your conventional Green. I live in rural Ireland. I’m a beef and sheep farmer. I’ve also been in Cabinet for the last four years,” she added.

Offaly-based Senator Hackett, a “super junior” Minister of State for agriculture with a seat at Cabinet, said the party has never had a non-Dublin or woman leader, adding that her “perspective and certainly my different life experiences can make the Green Party relevant and relatable”.

Senator Hackett lives on a farm in Co Offaly with her husband Mark and their four children.