Ballindine native looks set to secure Senate seat

SENATE BOUND  Green Party’s Pippa Hackett.

Michael Commins

BALLINDINE native Pippa Hackett (nee Powers) looks set to be appointed to Seanad Éireann in the coming weeks. The newly elected Green Party councillor on Offaly County Council has been nominated by her party to contest the seat vacated by Grace O’Sullivan from Waterford who was elected as an MEP in the European Parliament elections last May.
It is understood that Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are both favourable to lending support to Pippa Hackett and will not oppose her nomination. The general consensus is that this is the only seat the Green Party have in the Senate and that it should be filled by the nominee of the party.
Pippa, who is daughter of Lucien and Jeannie Powers, resides with her husband Mark Hackett and their four children near Geashill in Co Offaly where they operate an organic farm. Her brother Jay died in recent weeks.
She currently holds the position of spokesperson on Agriculture and Food, Forestry, Animal Welfare and Heritage with the Green Party and has also been selected as their candidate in the Laois-Offaly constituency for the next General Election.
Pippa is a past pupil of Ballindine NS and Mount St Michael Secondary School in Claremorris and news of her imminent selection to Seanad Éireann will be warmly welcomed in both schools and around her home parish and region.