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| Turnout | 1,950 (66.7% of 2,923 eligible voters), including 10 spoiled votes (0.5%), leaving a total valid poll of 1,940 [1] | ||||||||||||
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The 2020 Green Party leadership election was a leadership election within Ireland's Green Party. The election was won by Eamon Ryan who received 51% of the votes cast and retained his position as leader.
The constitution of the Green Party mandates there must always be a leadership contest within the party within six months of a general election. The 2020 Irish general election triggered this election. [2] [3]
Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin have been Leader and Deputy Leader of the Green party, respectively, since 2011. Ryan was credited with rebuilding the Green Party after it lost all representation in the Oireachtas in 2011. Ryan and Martin were the first two Greens to win back seats as Teachtai Dála at the 2016 Irish general election and in the 2020 Irish general election, the party had its best result ever when it secured 12 seats. [4]
In the prelude to the leadership contest were the government formation talks between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party as they put together the Government of the 33rd Dáil. Catherine Martin served as the Green's lead negotiator in those talks and was considered to have stood firm for the Greens' demands. [5]
Candidates must receive 50 nominations by party members. All members of the party have a vote, provided they have been a paid-up party member, including members from Northern Ireland. [6]
Postal ballot papers were sent to Green party members on 1 July and the closing date for returning votes was 22 July. The results were announced on 23 July 2020. [7]
| Candidate | Born | Political office | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
 Eamon Ryan | 28 July 1963 (age 59) Dundrum, County Dublin | Leader of the Green Party (2011–present) Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (2020–Present) Minister for Transport (2020–Present) Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2007–11) TD for Dublin South (2002–2011) TD for Dublin Bay South (2016–Present) | |
 Catherine Martin | 7 December 1972 (age 50) Monaghan Town, County Monaghan | Deputy Leader of the Green Party (2011–present) Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (2020–Present) TD for Dublin Rathdown (2016–Present) | 6 June 2020 [8] |
Within the Green Party, Martin's candidacy was seen to represent the views of younger, more radical Green Party members who did not wish to enter into coalition with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, in contrast to the leadership of Eamon Ryan which was seen to represent the moderate "old guard" who are open to working with those parties. [9] There was also the view amongst some Green Party members that Martin would be a sterner, more hardnosed leader than the more relaxed and approachable Ryan, and that Martin's more aggressive approach would be needed to safeguard the party against Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil backsliding on promises to them. [10] Supporters of Ryan argued that his warm manner is what helped him build relations both inside and outside of the party, and this would be important in holding the three parties together in government as well as settling the party down after divisive issues such as entering government and the leadership contest itself. [11]
4 internal debates were held over the course of election. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the debates were held online via Zoom conferences. One debate was held for each of the Republic of Ireland's European Parliament constituencies, and a fourth debate for members from Northern Ireland. [12] Over the course of debates, Ryan generally presented himself as the experienced and dependable choice while Martin presented herself as more able to communicate with rural Ireland and build the party's support there, as well as stressing the importance of pursuing Social Justice. Both candidates stressed they did not want the contest to divide the party, and regardless of who won, the leader would need to heal any wounds within the party and rebuild the party's cohesiveness. [13] [14]
| Date | Region | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 7 July 2020 | South | [12] |
| 11 July 2020 | Dublin | [12] |
| 14 July 2020 | Midlands–North-West | [12] |
| 14 July 2020 | Northern Ireland | [12] |
Eamon Ryan was declared the victor on 23 July 2020. The contest was considered to have been especially close, with only 48 votes separating the two candidates. Ryan acknowledged this, stating "It is a really close result. The numbers could have gone either way". Ryan declared his intention going forward was to "help this party and our country and our people through this remarkably challenging period." Martin thanked her supporters and stated her belief that Ryan would be able to reunite and rebuild the party following months of tension caused by the government formation talks and the leadership contest. Ryan thanked Martin for conducting a civil contest. [1] [15]
Fianna Fáil, officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party, is a conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland.
The Green Party is a green political party that operates in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. As other like-minded Green parties, it has eco-socialist/green left and more moderate factions. It holds a pro-European stance. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and adopted its current English language name in 1987 while the Irish name was kept unchanged. The party leader is Eamon Ryan, and the deputy leader is Catherine Martin and the Cathoirleach (chairperson) is Pauline O'Reilly. Green Party candidates have been elected to most levels of representation: local government, Dáil Éireann, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the European Parliament.
Micheál Martin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence since December 2022. He served as Taoiseach from 2020 to 2022 and has been Leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork South-Central since 1989. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2020 and held various Cabinet offices under Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.
Éamon Ó Cuív is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 1992 general election. He previously served as Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2011 to 2012, as Minister for Social Protection from 2010 to 2011, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs from 2002 to 2010, and as a Minister of State from 1997 to 2002. He also served as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and Minister for Defence from January to March 2011, appointed to these positions in addition to his own on the resignation of other members of the government.
Eamon Michael Ryan is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport since June 2020 and Leader of the Green Party since May 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since 2016, and previously from 2002 to 2011 for the Dublin South constituency. He previously served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011.
The 2011 Irish general election took place on Friday 25 February to elect 166 Teachtaí Dála across 43 constituencies to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Ireland's parliament, the Oireachtas. The Dáil was dissolved and the general election called by President Mary McAleese on 1 February, at the request of Taoiseach Brian Cowen. The 31st Dáil met on 9 March 2011 to nominate a Taoiseach and ratify the new ministers of the 29th Government of Ireland.
Fianna Fáil was founded on 23 March 1926 when a group of Dáil deputies led by Éamon de Valera split from the original Sinn Féin. This happened because de Valera's motion calling for elected members be allowed to take their seats in the Dáil, if and when the controversial Oath of Allegiance was removed, failed to pass at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis. The new party adopted its name on 2 April of the same year. From the formation of the first Fianna Fáil government on 9 March 1932 until the 2011 general election, the party was in power for 61 of 79 years. Its longest continuous period in office was 15 years and 11 months. Its single longest period out of office, in that time, has been four years and four months. All eight of its party's leaders have served as Taoiseach. It was the largest party in Dáil Éireann at every general election from the 1932 general election until the 2011 general election, when it suffered the worst defeat of a sitting government in the history of the Irish state.
The 2016 Irish general election took place on Friday 26 February to elect 158 Teachtaí Dála (TDs) across 40 constituencies to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's parliament. The 31st Dáil was dissolved by President Michael D. Higgins on 3 February, at the request of Taoiseach Enda Kenny. There was a reduction of eight seats under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2013.
This is a list of members who were elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011. On the advice of President Mary McAleese, the newly elected Dáil Éireann convened at midday on 9 March 2011 in Leinster House. It was dissolved by President Michael D. Higgins on the request of Taoiseach Enda Kenny on 3 February 2016.
The Leader of Fianna Fáil is the most senior politician within the Fianna Fáil political party in Ireland. Since 26 January 2011, the office has been held by Micheál Martin, following the resignation of Taoiseach Brian Cowen as leader of the party.
Catherine Martin is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media since June 2020 and Deputy Leader of the Green Party since June 2011. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Rathdown constituency since 2016.
The 2020 Irish general election took place on Saturday 8 February, to elect the 33rd Dáil, the lower house of Ireland's parliament. The election was called following the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil by the president, at the request of the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on 14 January 2020. The members, Teachtaí Dála (TDs), were elected by single transferable vote in multi-seat constituencies. It was the first election since 1918 to be held on a weekend.
The events surrounding the formation of Ireland's government in 2016 took place during March, April and May of that year, following the general election held on 26 February, which failed to produce an overall majority for any of the country's outgoing political alliances and resulted in a hung parliament.
The 2017 Fine Gael leadership election was triggered in May 2017, when Enda Kenny resigned as party leader. Voting began by members of Fine Gael and Young Fine Gael on 29 May 2017. On 2 June Leo Varadkar was announced as the victor, beating rival Simon Coveney. With Fine Gael being the governing party at the time, this election effectively appointed a new Taoiseach for Ireland.
The 33rd Dáil was elected at the 2020 general election on 8 February 2020 and first met on 20 February 2020. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland, are known as TDs. There are 160 TDs in the 33rd Dáil, an increase of 2. The 33rd Dáil lasted 1097 days to date.
The 2020 Labour Party leadership election was a leadership election within Ireland's Labour Party that was triggered when Brendan Howlin stepped down as Labour leader on 12 February 2020, in the aftermath of the party's poor showing at the 2020 general election.
Two by-elections were held for vacancies in Seanad Éireann on Wednesday, 21 April 2021. The vacancies were caused by the resignations of Fine Gael's Michael W. D'Arcy from the Agricultural Panel in September 2020 to become chief executive of the Irish Association of Institute Management; and of Sinn Féin's Elisha McCallion from the Industrial and Commercial Panel in October 2020 due to a COVID-19 grants controversy.
A by-election was held in the Dáil Éireann constituency of Dublin Bay South in Ireland on Thursday, 8 July 2021, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of the Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy. The by-election was won by Senator Ivana Bacik of the Labour Party.
Saoirse McHugh is an Irish environmentalist and former Green Party politician. From Achill Island in County Mayo, she has degrees in genetics and sustainable agriculture.
The party constitution requires that nominations for the leadership of the party be opened after a general election
Our party tradition or constitution says that we should have our leadership contest within six months of a general election.
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