The 2024 Green Party leadership election is a leadership election within Ireland's Green Party that is scheduled to be held on 8 July 2024, and after Eamon Ryan announced his intention to resign as party leader. Ryan, who has led the party since 2011, announced his resignation on 18 June 2024.
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Background
editAt the 2024 European Parliament election and local elections held on 7 June, the Green Party lost both of its MEPs and half of its local councillors.[1]
Ryan announced his resignation as party leader after the 18 June meeting of the cabinet.[2] Ryan also announced his intention to resign from office as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport in the coalition government of which his party is a partner, and said he would relinquish both roles once the Green Party had elected a new leader. Ryan's resignation made him the second party leader in Ireland's coalition government to announce their resignation during 2024 following that of Leo Varadkar, who stepped down as leader of Fine Gael and as Taoiseach.[1][3] Ryan said that the election results were not his reason for stepping down from the role, but that he had made the decision to do so several months earlier "for a variety of reasons including family commitments". Speaking on the 18 June edition of RTÉ's Six One News, he also confirmed he would not contest the next general election.[2][4]
Following Ryan's announcement, deputy leader Catherine Martin also confirmed she would step down from her post, but said she would continue her role as Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media,[5] and contest her Dáil seat in Dublin Rathdown at the next general election.[6]
On 19 June, a meeting of the Green Party's executive committee set 8 July as the date for the leadership election.[7]
Candidates
editA number of Green Party TDs, including Malcolm Noonan, a junior minister in the coalition government, and Neasa Hourigan, TD for Dublin Central, ruled themselves out of running to replace Ryan.[8][9]
| Candidate | Office | Announced | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pippa Hackett (Senator on the Agricultural Panel) |
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine | 19 June 2024 | Senator Pauline O'Reilly and TDs Brian Leddin, Steven Matthews, and Ossian Smyth who said he would seek to become deputy leader under her leadership[10][11] |
.jpg) Roderic O'Gorman (TD for Dublin West) |
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth | 19 June 2024 | Marc Ó Cathasaigh, Malcolm Noonan, Patrick Costello, and Joe O'Brien who initially considered standing, as well as several councillors including Hazel Chu[12] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Eamon Ryan to step down as Irish Green Party leader". BBC News. BBC. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ a b Lehane, Mícheál (18 June 2024). "Ryan and Martin to step down from Green leadership roles". RTÉ News. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "Key leader in Ireland's government quitting as Green Party chief". POLITICO. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Philip; McTaggart, Maeve (19 June 2024). "Green Party leadership: Supporters of Offaly farmer Pippa Hackett first out of the traps". the Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ Quann, Jack (18 June 2024). "Catherine Martin to 'step back' as Green Party deputy leader". Newstalk. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ Nevin, Emma (18 June 2024). "Catherine Martin to step down as Green Party deputy leader and won't contest leadership race". Dublin Live. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Philip; Monahan, Tabitha; Nolan, Darragh; Ndjonkou, Tessa (20 June 2024). "Taoiseach describes personal attacks on Eamon Ryan as 'unethical' and labels him a 'very good man'". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Matthews, Sam (19 June 2024). "Kilkenny TD Malcolm Noonan won't seek Green Party leadership, endorses his colleague". Kilkenny People. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ McNally, Tadgh (18 June 2024). "Joe O'Brien considering Green leadership bid as TDs rule out replacing Eamon Ryan". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (19 June 2024). "Green Party leader: Hackett announces she is entering race against O'Gorman". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ McTaggart, Maeve; Ryan, Philip; Downing, John (18 June 2024). "Push for Pippa Hackett to contest battle to replace Eamon Ryan as Catherine Martin to step down as deputy leader of Green Party". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Philip (19 June 2024). "The Green Party leadership race is on... Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman first to declare candidacy". Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 June 2024.