Green Party leadership: Supporters of Offaly farmer Pippa Hackett ...

In a day of high political drama yesterday, Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin both announced they would be stepping down as the party scrambled to find a new leader ahead of the general election.

The most likely successors are believed to be Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman, super junior minister Pippa Hackett and junior minister Ossian Smyth.

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman was first to declare his candidacy on Wednesday morning.

Pippa Hackett has received two public endorsements from party colleagues already this morning.

Ossian Smyth TD ruled himself out of leadership race and endorsed junior minister Pippa Hackett on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland. He said he would like to be her deputy leader.

Green Party Senator Pauline O'Reilly also endorsed Pippa Hackett, speaking to the Irish Independent.

Last night, the Green Party executive set in motion plans for a three-week leadership contest, which would see the campaign extend until near the Dáil recess on July 11.

Mr Ryan (60) announced he was stepping down as leader of the party outside Government Buildings yesterday. It is time to “pass the torch to a new generation of leaders,” he said during an emotional speech.

The long-serving Green TD cited family commitments, including caring for his son, who has special needs, and also highlighted the “vile statements” on social media about his late father and the “relentless” attacks on social media as reasons for stepping down as leader.

Mr Ryan insisted the results of the recent local and European elections were not the reason for his departure and said he made his mind up about quitting some months ago.

His spokesperson later said he informed Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin of his intentions to step down “in the last few months”. Four years ago, Ms Martin challenged Mr Ryan’s leadership weeks after he led the Green Party into government for the first time in a decade with a record number of Dáil seats.

She narrowly lost out to Mr Ryan but he kept her on as deputy leader.

However, Ms Martin shocked colleagues yesterday afternoon when she announced on Instagram that she would not be contesting the leadership.

The message was posted from Miami where Ms Martin is currently on a state visit.

“At this point in time, I will not be putting myself forward for the leadership contest. I will also step back as deputy leader,” she said. “I look forward to supporting the new leadership of the party. We are fortunate to have such an extremely talented party membership.”

A Green Party source described Mr Ryan and Ms Martin as “the Bonnie and Clyde” of the Greens and said their decision to step aside will allow for a new generation to come through and take charge of the climate change agenda.

Last night, there were discussions among members of the Greens’ parliamentary party about coming together to publicly support a new leader who is based outside Dublin. The party has never had a leader from outside the capital.

Junior Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity Pippa Hackett is being viewed by a group of party members as someone who could represent the views of Green members outside of Dublin.

Ms Hackett was appointed to the Cabinet from the Seanad by Mr Ryan when the Coalition was formed in 2020. A Green Party source said: “Several of the parliamentary party members have been coming together to support a non-Dublin leader and will [them] back publicly.”

However, much will depend on the intentions of Mr O’Gorman and Mr Smyth who are both based in Dublin. Neither has yet publicly signalled whether they will contest the election. ​

In his exit address, Mr Ryan said one of his “biggest regrets” was that a narrative developed under his leadership that the Greens are not concerned about rural Ireland and are not connected with normal people.

He also took aim at social media, saying it felt like his party was subjected to “co-ordinated attacks in the comments section following any posts” they made about the Green agenda.

“I’ve decided to ignore the worst comments, even when it included vile statements about my recently deceased father some five years ago. The level of invective has only increased, especially in the last year, and I think it poisons the well of public thinking about our agenda and not just our party,” he said.

Mr Ryan said “you could despair about the future of our democracy if you were just to live in that algorithm-driven, polarising, online world”.

“However, I am so hopeful about what is to come next.”

Mr Ryan said he cannot continue to work the long hours that being a public representative involves and decided to step down as he has “parenting commitments at home”.

“We have a son with special needs who also requires my attention. My wife, Victoria White, has been my greatest support and inspiration – I want to thank her and all my family and friends who have been at my side at all times. I will do everything I can to protect the future success of our party,” he added.