Minister of State Ossian Smyth has decided he will not be contesting the Green Party race for deputy leader.
The Dún Laoghaire TD said, given that the new leader of the Green Party Roderic O’Gorman is a man, he would prefer to see a woman as deputy leader and so would be stepping away from the contest. This leaves two people remaining in the contest: Senator Róisín Garvey and Deputy Neasa Hourigan.
“I want to wish Roderic the very best as he starts into his new leadership of the party. Given that our new leader is male, I think that it is best that the deputy leader is female. My stepping away from the contest at this stage will ensure this,” Mr Smyth said.
The Minister of State will continue to work across two Departments with responsibility for the circular economy and the national broadband plan at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and green procurement at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.
The hustings for the deputy leadership contest are taking place early this week with the online vote taking place by the end of the week.
Mr O’Gorman said he would not be implementing a reshuffle of Green ministers – meaning that outgoing leader Eamon Ryan and outgoing deputy leader Catherine Martin will remain in Cabinet in their current posts.
Defeated leadership contender Senator Pippa Hackett and the other Green junior ministers – Malcolm Noonan, Joe O’Brien and Mr Smyth – will also remain in their current posts.
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