FF AND FG TARGET GREENS OVER SEATS FOR SPOUSES
FIGURES in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have raised the issue of Green Party policy on the co-option of family members to council seats vacated by successful TDs and senators.
Currently two of the 14 Green TDs and senators have co-opted spouses to take over their council seats.
Green senator Pippa
Hackett passed her seat on Offaly council to her husband Mark Hackett after her initial election in 2019 to the Seanad.
Ms Hackett, who retained her Seanad seat in the latest election, said the Green Party had held a convention for this co-option but her husband was the only person nominated.
She added: ‘Selection conventions are far less competitive in rural constituencies… so a competition did actually take place. It just wasn’t contested.’
New Wicklow TD Steven Matthews, meanwhile, selected wife Erika Doyle to replace him on the council after he was elected to the Dáil. Ms Doyle, a journalist, subsequently said she had been transparently selected and nominated to take her husband’s seat by her local party organisation.
Councillors are paid €17,060 a year, plus unvouched expenses of €2,286-€2,667, and vouched expenses up to €5,000.
A senior Fianna Fáil source said their party had previously been attacked for for co-opting family members.
While a Fine Gael source was also critical: ‘The Greens had better wise up. Once they get into government, saying they are Green will not give them a free pass.’