Pauline O'Reilly explained

Honorific-Prefix:	Senator
Office1:	Senator
Term Start1:	29 June 2020
Office2:	Chair of the Green Party
Term Start2:	16 December 2021
Birth Date:	^[1]
Birth Place:	Galway, Ireland
Party:	Green Party
Children:	2

Pauline O'Reilly (born 1974/1975) is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as a Senator for the Labour Panel since April 2020^{[2] [3]} and chair of the Green Party since December 2021.

Early life and education

O'Reilly is a qualified solicitor. She is chair of the Galway Steiner National School.

Political career

O'Reilly was elected to Galway City Council at the 2019 local elections.^[4]

O'Reilly stood unsuccessfully in Galway West in the 2020 general election. She won 6% of first preference votes and finished ninth in the 5 seater constituency.^{[5] [6]}

She was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2020 as a Senator for the Labour Panel.^[7] Niall Murphy was co-opted to O'Reilly's seat on Galway City Council following her election to the Seanad. She is the Green Party Spokesperson for Education and Higher Education.^[8] She is the Leader of the Green Party in the Seanad. ^[9]

On 24 March 2021, O'Reilly was one of three Green Party senators to table a motion of no confidence against party Cathaoirleach Hazel Chu, after Chu announced her candidacy in a Seanad bye-election as an independent, with O'Reilly stating she does not believe it's appropriate "to run as an Independent candidate and also to be a chair of a party that’s in government and is supporting Government candidates".^[10]

On 16 December 2021, O'Reilly was elected as Cathaoirleach (Chair) of the Irish Green Party, succeeding Chu, following an election against Councillor Collette Finn and Dr. Bláithín Gallagher.^[11] O'Reilly was re-elected to the position of party chair on 26 November 2023.^[12]

O'Reilly was the Green Party's candidate for the Midlands–North-West constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election.^[12] O'Reilly received 13,710 (2.0%) first preference votes but was not elected.^[13]

Personal life

O'Reilly has two children and practices unschooling with them.^{[14] [15]} Her husband Conor works from home.^[16]

External links

• Pauline O'Reilly's page on the Green Party website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Green Party Candidate Pauline O'Reilly. 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609023641/https://www.thejournal.ie/election-2020/candidate/880/pauline-o-reilly/. 9 June 2023.
2. Web site: Pauline O'Reilly. Oireachtas Members Database. 21 April 2020.
3. Why the Local Elections matter. RTÉ News. 4 May 2019. 1 April 2020. McMorrow. Conor.
4. Web site: O'Reilly sets out priorities for Election 2020 campaign. advertiser.ie. 1 April 2020.
5. Web site: Pauline O'Reilly to run for Greens in Galway West. advertiser.ie. 1 April 2020.
6. Web site: Party unstuck by a green wave of a different hue. Connacht Tribune. 1 April 2020.
7. Web site: Seanad elections: Traveller candidate narrowly loses out on election. irishtimes.com. 1 April 2020.
8. Web site: The new Green councillors you have never heard of before. irishtimes.com. 1 April 2020.
9. Web site: 2020-04-30. Green Party Spokespeople. 2020-08-04. Green Party. en-US.
10. News: McQuinn. Cormac. 25 March 2021. Eamon Ryan 'tells Greens' no pact on supporting Coalition candidates for Seanad. 2021-03-25. The Irish Times. en.
11. News: Sassone . Erika . 16 December 2021 . Galway Senator elected Green Party chair and hopes to double party council seats . Galway Beo . 16 January 2024.
12. Web site: Senator Pauline O'Reilly re-elected as Green Party Cathaoirleach . 26 November 2023 . greenparty.ie . Green Party (Ireland) . 16 January 2024.
13. Web site: European Elections: Midlands North-West. . 15 June 2024.
14. Web site: Pauline O'Reilly. Green Party. 1 April 2020.
15. Web site: Unschooling in Galway – one family on its experience of teaching at home. irishtimes.com. 1 April 2020.
16. Web site: Books, maps and lots of Lego: how to furnish your home school. irishtimes.com. 1 April 2020.