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THE NEW LEADER of the Green Party is Roderic O’Gorman.
He has beaten Pippa Hackett with a slim 52% majority. O’Gorman secured 984 votes to Hackett’s 912. The total number of votes cast was 1896 with an electorate of 3425 Green Party members, who each have one vote.
Speaking at the party gathering in Bewley’s Café in Dublin this morning, O’Gorman thanked members for their support and thanked Hackett for bringing “key issues to the fore”.
“Over the last four years, the Green Party has done exactly what we said we would – we have delivered. On ambitions in climate and the environment, protecting nature, in supporting children and families, backing the arts and culture. We can be proud of our party’s record for people in all parts of Ireland,” O’Gorman said.
“We now need to demonstrate to everyone that Green Party policies are focused on the challenges of today every bit as much as those of tomorrow. Our solutions – on climate, transport, housing, support for families – benefit everyone on this island. That job starts today,” he added.
O’Gorman said today that he wants to see this Government run its full term until March 2025 and that he is not going to propose a Cabinet reshuffle.
He said this was because he wants to see the delivery of more of the Green Party policies that were set out in the Programme for Government.
Hackett wished O’Gorman the best and said she looks forward to working alongside him.
Roderic O’Gorman was first elected as a TD in February 2020 and just four months later was appointed Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
He is now the fourth leader of the Green Party.
Hackett was first elected to Seanad Éireann in 2020 and was Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity.
O’Gorman and Hackett had both been vying for the leadership since Eamon Ryan announced that he would be stepping down at the end of last month.
Ryan led the party for 13 years, succeeding John Gormley in 2011, and has been a TD since 2002.
Since the leadership race began, two Green Party hustings have taken place and members have been voting online for the last three days.
O’Gorman’s core campaign message was that he wants the party to have a greater focus on social issues.
Hackett meanwhile believes there has been “a disconnect” between the voters and what the party is trying to achieve.
The local elections in 2019 and the general election in 2020 saw record-breaking victories for the Green Party, but by the recent local and European elections, the tide had turned.
The party lost over half its local councillors in June’s elections, dropping from 49 to 23 seats. The party also lost both of its MEPs.
During his first speech as leader today, O’Gorman said the party’s core vote remains strong but that if the Greens’ decide to only rely on their core votes then they will lose seats.
“As leader, I want us to hold our seats, I want us to grow our seats… I want to win in every part of Ireland,” he said.
Speaking to The Journal recently, O’Gorman outlined how he wants to see the Green Party broaden the party’s policy direction. This came in contrast to Hackett’s approach, who told The Journal that environmentalism needs to underpin all policies in the party.
O’Gorman grew up in Dublin 15 and lives in Blanchardstown with his husband.
Before his election to the Dáil, he was a law lecturer in Dublin City University and had served on Fingal County Council for six years.
At the beginning of his tenure as Minister for Children and Integration, O’Gorman had committed to dismantling the direct provision system for asylum seekers and moving the country to a state-led approach with state-owned accommodation.
However, the onset of Russia’s war with Ukraine in 2020 and the subsequent arrival of over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees to Ireland led to significant pressure on his Department.
At the same time, Ireland saw an increase in arrivals from other countries seeking asylum, with the Government failing to provide accommodation for all international protection seekers.
Currently, 2,300 people who are seeking asylum in Ireland are homeless.
O’Gorman recently told The Journal that he would like to remain in his brief if he became leader as there are still “major pieces of work to get done”.
With reporting from Jane Matthews
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Sorry seems to be the hardest word goes the song,not in this kip though.
I find it hard to believe that there are still people in Galway Council that were active in the 70s-late 90s. Anybody in an institution that was involved with the deaths and unlawful dumping of babies can apologise away. If they were not involved with this institution then the apologies are empty. Where are those guilty of these atrocities? Those that were there and turned a blind eye? Hiding away, letting others apologise…
@Oliver Walker: I recently discovered that Politicians that are around since 1981 in Galway are still active today and include Mayors and Former TDS .
@Aine Healy: What do you mean ‘do your research’?… Have you seen the report? Have you read the article? Babies remains were dumped in septic tanks…
Big leap from that to abortion.
@Oliver Walker: please see my above reply in answer to your questions.
So, did you vote yes to legalising abortion that is responsible for the deaths of 7000 “invisible and voiceless” pre born human beings it it’s first year alone? Yes?
@Aine Healy: hold up, if they weren’t ‘dumped’ in there how do you think they got there? Crawled in themselves and died?
@Helen Downey: you should also do your research Helen. No babies were “dumped” in a “septic tank” by “the nuns” or anyone else. Notwithstanding the official report ( which I suggest that you actually read), where in the article above, does it state that babies were “dumped” in a “septic tank”?
It would appear that you are letting your ideological narrative get on the way of facts.
How about you Helen? Did your vote yes to the legalization of abortion which is responsible for the deaths of over 7000 Irish babies in its first year alone, most of whom actually did end up in the sewage system unlike the “Tuam babies” who did not?
@Aine Healy: I consider babies in a sewage system dumped. How else did they get there? You haven’t answered that I see.
@Helen Downey: you really should do your own homework rather than expecting others to do it for you. Why so lazy?
Again, your “consideration” does not facts make, although I acknowledge your considered opinion that aborted babies (those who are not incinerated) who end up in the sewage system as being “dumped”.
There is no written or oral documentation that evidences that babies or children who died in Tuam were “dumped” in a “septic tank” by “the nuns” or indeed that they were “killed” by “the nuns”.
Overwhelming evidence, with detailed references, shows that coffins and shrouds were used for babies who died in the Tuam mother and baby home. The babies were placed in a crypt. Crypts are very common in Ireland. Catherine Corless herself, interviewed two carpenters families who spoke to her about how their relatives built coffins for the babies. Nor were there any pipes going to or out the structure making the claim that the remains were in a septic tank utterly ridiculous. Old maps show a cess poll ( which is different to a septic tank) within the area and Corless put two and two together, made five, of which pro abortion advocates and Catholic bigots were only to delighted to fly the flag for.
All of the babies and children’s names, ages, places of birth and causes of death (tb, measles, flu, whooping cough amongst other illnesses) were recorded.
It was in fact county council who reduced the size of the original graveyard in order to build an access road to houses that had been built on the site and also to provide a playground. They reinterred the remains of babies and children that they had dug up in the structure (known as an ossuary). “The nuns” were well gone according to the evidence that shows the structure and re interment to have occurred after 1960’s.
Again, research on your part would have led you to the facts, but again it appears that you have little interest in the truth of the matter. How tragic is that?
@Aine Healy: the remains were found in a septic tank. Disused or not it is a septic tank. Not a grave.
Ah well, that’s ok then. No worries!
@Joecantdance: considering that the majority of the members of the council weren’t even born during the majority of the time this abuse was going on, what do you really expect them to do?
Not good enough, want to hear from the county manager at the time and to hear what his reasoning behind his lack of knowledge empathy of the women , not from the present council offering a hollow apology
They will be even more sorry when sued
No good. Not accepted. No point in this. Most of not all of this on the county council has nothing to do with it.
Are their politicians and senior civil servants getting a state funded pension for the work they did years ago. Health Boards, social workers among others.
have your say