John Gormley

John Gormley (born 4 August 1959) is an Irish former Green Party politician who served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from June 2007 to January 2011, Leader of the Green Party from June 2007 to May 2011 and Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1994 to 1995.

He has held many positions in the Green Party including campaign director for the successful anti-smog campaign in the 1980s.

He contested his first general election in 1989, in the Dublin South-East constituency, but was not elected.

He also unsuccessfully contested the 1989 Seanad election and 1992 general election.

In 1990, he wrote The Green Guide For Ireland, containing advice on how to live and campaign environmentally.

He lives in Ringsend with his wife, Penny, and their son and daughter.

In 1991, he was elected to Dublin City Council.

During his time as a member he was Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1994 to 1995, the first Green Party Councillor to serve as Lord Mayor.

As Lord Mayor, he launched Dublin Gay Pride week in 1995.

He was the first Lord Mayor to launch Dublin Gay Pride week in 1995, although his predecessor, Tomás Mac Giolla had met with participants in the March in the previous year.

His Lord Mayor's Commission on Cycling, which produced a report on Cycling in Dublin, was seen as a significant advance for cycling in the city.

He also helped with the introduction of Sli na Slainte, a network of signposted walks for those seeking exercise to combat heart disease.

As part of the peace process he undertook a joint visit to the United States with the Lord Mayor of Belfast Hugh Smyth, of the Progressive Unionist Party.

Gormley also welcomed Prince Charles to the Mansion House (Residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin).

He subsequently met with protestors against the visit of Charles and agreed to visit the site of the Bloody Sunday Memorial in Derry.

He was the first elected representative in Ireland to have an email address, and when launching a new Irish web site, the virtual Irish pub he predicted the massive growth of the internet.

He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-East constituency from 1997 to 2011.

Born in Dublin, Gormley was educated in St Munchin's College, Limerick; University College Dublin and the University of Freiburg.

Prior to entering full-time politics, he ran an academy of European languages.

At the 1997 general election, Gormley became the third Green candidate elected to Dáil Éireann – after a week-long re-count with Michael McDowell, which he won by 27 votes.

Gormley and Trevor Sargent served as the only Green Party TDs between 1997 and 2002.

In the Dáil, on 15 October 1998, after Gormley declared that the Greens were the only party not to take money from the banks, Brian Cowen called him ‘an incorrigible incorruptible’.

In 1998, he spoke against Ireland's participation in the Eurozone, stating that a monetary union without a fiscal union made no sense.

In the same debate he predicted that the Euro could lead to the ‘disintegration of the Union’ because of ‘the rise of extreme elements in Europe’.

In the same debate he accused the Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy and the opposition of ‘overheating’ the economy.

He retained his seat at the 2002 general election, increasing his vote and taking the first seat in his constituency, though McDowell gained the most number of first preferences.

In 2002, the business of the Dáil was suspended in uproar when Gormley insisted on getting an answer to his question regarding a tax on plastic bags.

He retained his seat at the 2002 general election, increasing his vote and taking the first seat in his constituency, though McDowell gained the most number of first preferences.

He was elected to the newly created post of party Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of the Green Party in 2002, and re-elected in late 2004 with 80% of the party vote.

He proposed some of the major changes to the party structures such as the name change (from Green Alliance to Green Party); the need to have a party leader was suggested by Sargent.

On 16 May 2007, during the run up to the 2007 general election, Gormley emerged from a crowd of journalists to confront Michael McDowell, while he was unveiling a poster saying 'Left-Wing Government?

No Thanks'.

Gormley repeatedly requested McDowell to admit that the accompanying pamphlet on the matter was awash with lies.

The incident fronted the evening's main news and the footage subsequently circulated on the Internet.

Gormley was re-elected at the 2007 general election, beating McDowell for the last seat by 304 votes.

Following the election he led negotiations with Fianna Fáil on forming a government.

The programme for government was approved by 86% of party members who attended a specially convened conference in Dublin's Mansion House, after which the party entered government for the first time.

On 14 June 2007, he was named as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the new coalition.

Following the general election of 2007, Trevor Sargent resigned as leader of the Green Party.

The following leadership election was contested by Gormley and Patricia McKenna, and the Green Party announced that in the postal ballot he received 478 votes to McKenna's 263.