The Government has nominated former European commissioner Phil Hogan as Ireland’s candidate to contest an election for a senior job at the United Nations. 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 international position. It is understood Hogan had been considering a run for the UN role for a number of months. A race to lock in support and votes to take over as his replacement will begin in the coming months, as various countries’ candidates for the international job emerge. Labour Party spokesperson Duncan Smith said: “This highlights that Phil Hogan still has a huge influence within Fine Gael and the Government.

Source: The Irish Times March 03, 2026 14:42 UTC