Kilkenny's Malcolm Noonan to be Green Party nominee for Seanad

The Green Party has  announces that Kilkenny's Malcolm Noonan has been chosen to run as a candidate for the Agricultural Panel of the Seanad.

The Seanad Electoral Taskforce believes Malcolm has the experience and passion to ensure Green issues are heard in the Seanad.

The former minister of state lost his Dail seat in the recent general election. 

He is the second Kilkenny man to join the race for a Seanad seat, following the news North Kilkenny's Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick is also campaigning to be elected to the upper house of the Dail. Both men will be candidates on the Agricutural Panel.

Malcolm Noonan accepted the nomination saying: “I am honoured to be chosen to represent the Green Party and this election is an important step in rebuilding the party. As minister, I helped deliver a transformative agenda for Ireland's natural environment, built heritage and electoral systems. I am running for the Seanad to continue this work because the need for climate action and nature restoration is as important as ever.”

 Over the past five years, Malcolm Noonan has been a TD for Carlow-Kilkenny and Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform. Before entering politics, he spent twenty years as a community and environmental activist with Friends of the Earth.

His academic background is in rural development, and he campaigned on issues ranging from natural and built heritage, transport, young people’s issues, integration and social inclusion to participation in the arts. He has contributed to European urban built heritage policy and have a particular interest in the conservation and economic development of Irish towns and village.

The agricultural panel is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of the Seanad.

The agricultural panel elects 11 senators and they are voted for by city and county councillors as well as sitting members of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Dáil and Seanad).

Nominations for the Seanad election close on December 31. The Seanad Returning Officer will sit for the completion of the panels on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Ballot papers will be issued on Wednesday, January 15 and the poll will close at 11am on Thursday, January 30.