Offaly councillor put forward for Seanad seat

The Green Party has today launched Cllr Pippa Hackett as their candidate to contest the Seanad byelection.

Cllr Hackett, elected in the Edenderry Municipal District in the May local elections, is a Co Offaly farmer and will contest for a place on the Agricultural Panel.

She has been the Green Party Agriculture Spokesperson for the last three years.

Speaking at the launch she said: “I’m delighted to contest the Seanad byelection for the Green Party. I believe I can be a strong voice in the Seanad for protecting and preparing rural communities as we work to tackle climate breakdown and nature destruction."

“Family farms are under pressure like never before. Many people have lost hope. We need a positive vision for farming and change the economics to make it deliver for rural communities."

"What is clear is that business as usual is not working. For the first time, I believe, people are looking to the Greens for solutions and I believe I can be part of that.”

 Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan, who previously occupied the place on the Seanad Agriculture Panel, said: “I want to whole-heartedly support Pippa’s candidacy for this Seanad place. I know from my time in the Seanad the value of having a strong Green voice there and I know Pippa will be that."

“Pippa is a farmer so she knows what changes are needed on the ground. This is important. People know that climate change is urgent but they don’t know the practical measures needed to deliver it."

"We need people like Pippa leading these changes and that’s why we need her strong voice in the Seanad.”

Cllr Hackett holds a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Essex, a postgraduate diploma from University College Dublin, and a PhD from the University of Limerick. She took leave from academic research and lecturing to raise her family.

She lives on a mixed organic farm (suckler cows, sheep, hens and horses) with her husband and four young children, near Geashill in Co Offaly, close to the Laois border.