The Government has nominated former European commissioner Phil Hogan as Ireland’s candidate to contest for a senior job at the United Nations.
Ministers agreed to back the former Fine Gael politician as Ireland’s pick in the race to take over as the next director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The Department of Agriculture had canvassed for potential names the Government could consider nominating as a candidate for the job at the UN agency.
Hogan, a former Fine Gael minister and European commissioner, indicated he would be interested in the Government putting his name forward to contest the election for the senior UN role.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon brought a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday, setting out a recommendation from an internal department process, that Ireland nominate Hogan for the international role.
The UN agency is based in Rome, and the top job commands a salary of about $265,000 a year. The election to fill the position will take place next year, with representatives of the 194 states who are members of FAO each getting one vote.
Government ministers have said it would be beneficial if Europe settled on one candidate.
The Italian government has nominated their former agriculture minister, Maurizio Martina, who is the current deputy director general of the FAO, for the top job.
The UN role is currently held by Qu Dongyu, a Chinese politician and administrator, whose four-year term is due to finish in mid-2027.
A race to lock in support and votes to take over as his replacement is expected to begin in the coming months, as various countries’ candidates for the international job emerge.
The UN agency is tasked with leading efforts to tackle world hunger and improve global food security.
It is understood Hogan has separately canvassed for support inside the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive arm in Brussels.
Hogan, who served as European commissioner for agriculture and later EU trade commissioner, resigned from the high-profile role in the fallout of the Golfgate controversy during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He stepped down in August 2020 following backlash for attending a dinner organised by the Oireachtas golf society at a time when Covid restrictions on large gatherings were in place.
During the height of the political storm then-tánaiste Leo Varadkar and taoiseach Micheál Martin asked Hogan to consider his position. He later said the withdrawal of support by the Irish government contributed to his resignation as EU trade commissioner.