EAMON RYAN has been declared the new leader of the Green Party, beating fellow candidates former Dublin central candidate Phil Kearney and Kilkenny councillor Malcolm Noonan.

The party – a former government coalition parter which has lost all of its Dáil seats as well as its Seanad seats in this year’s elections - made the announcement this afternoon in Dublin city centre. The new leader was selected by Green Party members, who had to cast their votes by noon today. The turnout was 71.6 per cent.

The new party leader said today the Greens are setting out “on the road to recovery”:

We need to win back the trust and support of the Irish people. A greener future makes sense for our country, a future where we develop our resources more wisely, share our wealth more equitably and play out part in tackling the global environmental challenges we all face.

He said he would start by working to draw a new generation of support into the party. Ryan said the Green Party will support the government “in whatever way we can to get our country out of our immediate economic crisis”, but said that the government had little understanding of how a green approach could help sustainability.

Ryan had released this campaign video as he pledged to reinvigorate the party following its election defeat: