Two candidates have put their names forward to become the next leader of the Green Party as the deadline for declarations closed today (Tuesday, June 25).
Any Green Party member who received the support of 50 members was eligible to run and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Roderic O’Gorman are the two candidates vying for the position.
Two hustings will take place before the vote. The first will be in-person and take place at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin on Thursday, June 27 at 6:00p.m.
The second hustings will be online and held on Sunday, June 30 at 3:00p.m.
The voting for party leader will take place online from Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 7. The results will then be announced on Monday, July 8.
The party is also set to hold a deputy leadership contest after deputy leader, and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin stepped down.
Green Party leader
The contest to find a new leader of the Green Party arose after the surprise announcement by Eamon Ryan that he was stepping down from the role last week.
While stepping away from his former role, Ryan said he will continue to work on climate action, but “in a different way”.
“I cannot continue to work the long hours that being a public representative involves, which is why I am not standing again,” the minister said at the time.
He said he will remain working on increasing safe bike links in every town and city in Ireland.
Aside from that, Minister Ryan said he will continue to support the future success of the party through addressing the ecological crisis; insuring social justice; engaging in peaceful politics; and trusting the people to make the right decision in the end.