SENATOR RÓISÍN GARVEY has been elected deputy leader of the Green Party today.

The election followed an online hustings and debate earlier this afternoon. The other candidate was party TD Neasa Hourigan.

Garvey comes from a farming background in West Clare with a background in climate education and community activism. She has been volunteering in the community for years around cycling, sustainable transport, biodiversity.

She was the first woman and first Green elected to Clare County Council for North Clare in 2019 and became a senator in May 2020 as a Taoiseach’s nominee to the Seanad. 

The number of members who registered to vote in the election was 917 and 653 votes were cast. Garvey received 333 votes and Deputy Hourigan received 320 votes.

It comes a week after Roderic O’Gorman was elected leader of the party, taking over from Eamon Ryan.

He has beaten Pippa Hackett with a slim 52% majority. O’Gorman secured 984 votes to Hackett’s 912. The total number of votes cast was 1896 with an electorate of 3425 Green Party members, who each have one vote.

Garvey will replace Catherine Martin who has served as deputy leader for the past 13 years.

Martin said: “Huge congratulations to Róisín on their election as deputy leader of the Green Party. Róisín will be an excellent deputy leader of the Green Party.

“I look forward to seeing all that Róisín achieves in the role. My sincere commiserations to Neasa, who is an important voice in our party and a huge asset to the Green movement.

“It has been a huge honour and a privilege to serve as deputy leader of the Green Party for the last 13 years, and I want to thank the members for all of their support during this time. I look forward to continuing to work as a Green TD and government minister, placing climate and social justice at the heart of everything I do.”