The Offaly organic farmer was first elected to the Seanad in a by-election last November without opposition from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, on the prompting of Green Party leader Mr Ryan, named her on Saturday as one of three super-junior ministers entitled to attend Cabinet meetings. Ms Hackett was a "Ryan loyalist" in the incipient election contest involving deputy leader Catherine Martin, and some anti-coalition party members in particular have railed against her appointment. Both nominees polled over 5,000 votes each and were unlucky on the day not to make the Dáil," another party source said. Both he and Ms Garvey polled more first preferences than some of the party's 12 TDs who were successful in their Dáil bids.

Source: Irish Independent June 29, 2020 01:30 UTC