Pippa Hackett, who narrowly lost out in her bid to become new Green Party leader

Pippa Hackett narrowly defeated in Green Party leadership race

Local Green Party Minister for State, Pippa Hackett, has lost out to her political rival, Minister Roderic O'Gorman, by less than 100 votes in her bid to become the new leader of the Green Party.

The results of the leadership vote were announced on Instagram Live this morning, with Minister Hackett receiving 912 votes, 72 votes less than that of the second leadership contender, Roderic O'Gorman, who received 984 votes. He will now take over the leadership of the Greens from outgoing leader, Eamon Ryan, who led the party for 13 years before announcing his intention to step down at the end of last month.

This morning's announcement included details of the number of votes cast in the leadership contest, at 1,896, from an electorate of 3,425 Green Party members. There were no spoiled votes.

Pippa Hackett, who is Minister for State in the Department of Agriculture with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, has never held a Dail seat for Laois/Offaly, but was elected to the Agricultural Panel of Seanad Éireann in a by-election in November 2019 and re-elected in 2020.

In her speech after the results of the leadership contest were announced, Minister Hackett congratulated Roderic O'Gorman on being elected as the new leader of the Green Party and assured him of her "full support" in his new role. She described the leadership campaign as being "civilised and respectful" and she also thanked the Green Party membership for their "respectful engagement" with the process.

"Politics is tough, and it is particularly tough on family members" she said, adding that she would like to thank her husband, Mark, her children Charlie, Poppy, Heidi and George and also her mother, Jeannie, for their "ongoing love and support" particularly over the past five years which had been a difficult period for her family with the passing of her brother in 2019 and her father last year.

She also thanked outgoing leader, Eamon Ryan, for his legacy, and the many people up and down the country who had helped her "in big ways and small" and who had placed their "faith, hope and trust" in her during the leadership contest. "It has filled me with enthusiasm" she added.