Vivienne Clarke
Green party TD Brian Leddin has said that he expects the campaign for a new leader of the party will be “good humoured and healthy”.
“Everybody so far has been very good, mature and serious about it,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Mr Leddin, who yesterday endorsed Minister of State Pippa Hackett in the leadership bid, said that if the majority of the party votes for the other contender Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman, he would be “completely behind him”.
It had been known for some time within the party that Eamon Ryan would not lead the party into the next general election, he said. There had been “good conversations” last weekend over who would offer the best chance for the Green Party to win seats in the upcoming general election.
Mr Leddin said he was happy that there were “two excellent candidates” and it would be a good year for the party whoever comes out as leader.
Dublin City councillor Janet Horner said she would be supporting Roderic O’Gorman as he had handled one of the most demanding briefs in the country. “I think in terms of his ministerial portfolio he has at the moment, we've seen him time and again step up to leadership roles within the party, most recently as director of elections for the local election campaign.
“He's shown and has continued to articulate the values of the party at the highest level despite major challenges, opponents and major pushback. And I think that's something we really need to see at the moment.
“I would also say that Roderic has been a very personable, trusted kind of a colleague to have over the last number of years. And I think while we are building up the party and regrouping after the locals, I think it's really important that you have somebody that you feel you can lift the phone to.”
Mr Leddin said he though Ms Hackett offers the best chance for the party to win more seats.
"Unfortunately, there was a perception that the party was Dublin centric. This is, unfortunately, something Roderic can't do anything about. He is a Dublin-based TD.
I think we've two excellent candidates and everything being equal, the difference between them is that, one is from Dublin and one is, not from Dublin.
"It was important for the party to show the public that they were willing to put somebody “into the leadership” who was not from Dublin."
However, Cllr Horner, responded that at the end of the days with issues such as climate change, childcare, integration, it was important to address them as a whole, as a country.
