Pippa Hackett

Last updated

2020–2025
Pippa Hackett
Pippa Hackett 2023.jpg
Minister of State Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Pippa Hackett (born 8 January 1974) [1] is an Irish Green Party politician who served as a Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from June 2020 to January 2025. She was one of three Ministers of State in attendance at cabinet, but without a vote. She was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from November 2019 to January 2025. [2]

Contents

Political career

Hackett joined the Green Party in around 2016, upon the recommendation of a neighbour of hers, Christopher Fettes, the party founder. [3] At the 2019 local elections, she was elected to Offaly County Council for the Edenderry Area. [4] [5]

She was elected unopposed, as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel in a by-election on 1 November 2019. [6] [7] The vacancy was caused by the election of Senator Grace O'Sullivan to the European Parliament in May 2019. [8]

She was an unsuccessful Green party candidate for the Laois–Offaly constituency at the 2020 general election, coming sixth in the five-seat constituency, with a total of 4,255 votes in the final count.

At the 2020 Seanad election on 30 March, she was re-elected to the Agricultural Panel. On the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020 between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, she was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity. [9] She became the first senator to be appointed as a Minister of State and is one of three Ministers of State attending cabinet, a position commonly known as a super junior minister. [10]

On 24 March 2021, Hackett was one of three Green Party senators to table a motion of no confidence against party chairperson Hazel Chu, after Chu announced her candidacy in a Seanad by-election as an Independent. [11]

On 19 June 2024, Hackett announced her candidacy in the Green Party leadership election following the resignation of Eamon Ryan. [12] A focal point of her campaign was improving the party's reputation among rural voters, claiming the party had an "image problem". [13] She received several high profile endorsements, including from Brian Leddin, Ossian Smyth and Steven Matthews. She was defeated by Roderic O'Gorman who received 984 votes to her 912 votes.

She was an unsuccessful candidate for the Offaly constituency at the 2024 general election.

Early life and education

Hackett was born in Galway, but is a native of Ballindine, County Mayo. [14] During her time in Britain, she studied Equine Science at Aberystwyth University and Agriculture at the University of Essex. Back in Ireland, she studied a Postgraduate Diploma in Equine Science at University College Dublin in 1996, [15] and gained her PhD in Sports Biomechanics at the University of Limerick.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Hackett lives on a farm in County Offaly near Geashill with her husband Mark, whom she met at university in Essex, and their four children. [14] Her husband was co-opted to take her seat on Offaly County Council. [16] Her son, Charlie, ran unsuccessfully in the 2024 local elections. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Party (Ireland)</span> Irish political party

The Green Party is a green political party that operates in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. 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 Roderic O'Gorman, the deputy leader is Senator Róisín Garvey and the cathaoirleach (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.

Avril Doyle is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Minister of State from 1986 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1997. She served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2004 and 2004 to 2009, a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wexford constituency from 1982 to 1989 and 1992 to 1997 and a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1989 to 1992 and 1997 to 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Paul Phelan</span> Irish former politician (born 1978)

John Paul Phelan is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2011 to 2024. He previously served as Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform from 2017 to 2020. He also served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2002 to 2011.

Michael D'Arcy was an Irish Fine Gael politician, who served as a TD for the Wexford constituency.

Liam Hyland is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who was an elected representative for over 25 years, as a Senator, Teachta Dála (TD) and Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

A vocational panel is any of five lists of candidates from which are elected a total of 43 of the 60 senators in Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of Ireland. Each panel corresponds to a grouping of "interests and services" of which candidates are required to have "knowledge and practical experience". The panels are nominated partly by Oireachtas members and partly by vocational organisations. From each panel, between five and eleven senators are elected indirectly, by Oireachtas members and local councillors, using the single transferable vote. The broad requirements are specified by Article 18 of the Constitution of Ireland and the implementation details by acts of the Oireachtas, principally the Seanad Electoral Act 1947, and associated statutory instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael W. D'Arcy</span> Irish former politician (born 1970)

Michael William D'Arcy is the chief executive of the Irish Association of Investment Management. He is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who was elected to the Seanad for the Agricultural Panel in April 2020. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wexford constituency from 2016 to 2020, and previously between 2007 and 2011. He served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance from 2017 to 2020. He previously served as a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 2011 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seanad Éireann</span> Upper house of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament)

Seanad Éireann is the senate of the Oireachtas, which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Cowen</span> Irish politician (born 1967)

Barry Cowen is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Midlands–North-West constituency since July 2024. He previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) representing Laois–Offaly from 2011 to 2016, Offaly from 2016 to 2020, and Laois–Offaly again from 2020 to 2024. He served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine from June to July 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace O'Sullivan</span> Irish politician (born 1962)

Grace O'Sullivan is an Irish politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency from 2019 until 2024. She is a member of the Green Party, and part of the European Green Party. She previously served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2016 to 2019.

The 25th Seanad was in office from 2016 to 2020. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas, followed the 2016 general election to the 32nd Dáil on 26 February. There are 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels by serving politicians, for which polling closed on 25 April; 6 were elected in two university constituencies, for which polling closed on 26 April; and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach on 27 May 2016. It remained in office until the close of poll for the 26th Seanad in March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Chambers</span> Irish former politician (born 1986)

Lisa Chambers is an Irish barrister and former Fianna Fáil politician. She served on Mayo County Council from 2014 to 2016, before serving as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency from 2016 to 2020. After losing her Dáil seat at the 2020 general election, she served as a senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 2020 to 2025 and was leader of the Seanad from 2022 to 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Murnane O'Connor</span> Irish politician (born 1966)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 2020 general election. She previously served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2016 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Offaly County Council election</span> Part of the 2019 Irish local elections

An election to all 19 seats on Offaly County Council was held on 24 May 2019 as part of the 2019 Irish local elections. County Offaly was divided into 3 local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Noonan</span> Irish politician (born 1966)

Malcolm Noonan is an Irish Green Party senator who has been a senator for the Agricultural Panel since January 2025. He previously served as a Minister of State from July 2020 to January 2025, and as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from February 2020 to November 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Hoey</span> Irish politician (born 1988)

Annie Hoey is an Irish Labour Party politician who served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from June 2020 until January 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Róisín Garvey</span> Irish politician (born 1973)

Róisín Garvey is an Irish Green Party politician who served as a Senator from June 2020 to January 2025, after being nominated by the Taoiseach. She was elected deputy leader of the Green Party on 14 July 2024.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saoirse McHugh</span> Irish politician

Saoirse McHugh is an Irish environmentalist and former Green Party politician. From Achill Island in County Mayo, she holds degrees in genetics and sustainable agriculture. McHugh was a Green Party candidate in the 2019 European Parliament election in Ireland, the 2020 Irish general election and 2020 Seanad election. She was unsuccessful in each case.

An indirect election to the 27th Seanad took place in January 2025, following the 2024 general election to the 34th Dáil in November 2024. Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas, with Dáil Éireann as its lower house. With all 60 seats in the Seanad to be elected, polls closed for six senators elected in two university constituencies on 29 January and for 43 senators elected on five vocational panels on 30 January; the remaining 11 senators are to be nominated by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin.

References

  1. ↑ "Pippa Hackett – green shoots". The Irish Field. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Pippa Hackett". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  3. ↑ "Offaly County Council: Big blow for Sinn Féin while Greens claim first seat". The Irish Times . 25 May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  4. ↑ "Pippa Hackett". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Green Party councillor Pippa Hackett elected to Seanad". Irish Independent . 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Green Party's Pippa Hackett elected to the Seanad". RTÉ News . 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "Seanad Éireann debate - Tuesday, 5 November 2019: Election of Member". Houses of the Oireachtas . 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "Vacancy in Seanad Membership: Motion – Seanad Éireann (25th Seanad) – Vol. 267 No. 3". Houses of the Oireachtas. 25 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil . 2020 (54): 778–779. 7 July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  10. ↑ Oireachtas (Allowances) (Members and Holders of Parliamentary and Certain Ministerial Offices) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 613 of 2020 ). Signed on 8 December 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland .Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 29 December 2020.
  11. ↑ McQuinn, Cormac (25 March 2021). "Eamon Ryan 'tells Greens' no pact on supporting Coalition candidates for Seanad". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Pippa Hackett enters Green Party leadership race". Offaly Independent. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  13. ↑ O'Sullivan, Colman (30 June 2024). "Green Party 'has image problem', Hackett tells members".
  14. 1 2 Fox, Claire (8 June 2019). "'Origin Green is painting a false image to the world and it will come back to bite us' - newly elected Green councillor Pippa Hackett". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Pippa Hackett | Green Party". www.greenparty.ie. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  16. ↑ "Offaly Farmer Replaces His Wife On Offaly County Council". Midlands103.com. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  17. ↑ "Local elections 2024: County-by-county breakdown – mixed fortunes for parties and political dynasties". Irish Independent. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024. He tried to entice voters by releasing his own rap – but many appeared to switch off from Green Party candidate Charlie Hackett's message.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
2020–2025
With: Martin Heydon 		Succeeded by
Office abolished
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.