Green Party no relation Minister of State for Food Horticulture and Food Safety
Dáil Éireann
At the 1992 general election, he was elected to Dáil Éireann and retained his seat at the 1997, 2002 and 2007 general elections, topping the poll in 2002. Having been elected to the Dáil, he resigned his county council seat in keeping with Green Party policy on dual mandates. This became a legal requirement in 2003. Having been the only Green Party member of the Dáil between 1992 and 1997, Sargent was joined in 1997 by John Gormley, and in 2002 by an additional four Green Party TDs.
At a special Leadership Convention in Kilkenny on 6 October 2001, Sargent was elected the first official leader of the Green Party. He was re-elected to this position in 2003 and again in 2005. Ahead of the 2007 general election, Sargent had committed that he would not lead the party into government with Fianna Fáil. After the election, the Green Party entered talks on forming a coalition government with Fianna Fáil. A programme for government was agreed after over a week of negotiations, which was ratified by 86% by a special conference of the Green Party membership, following passionate endorsements of the deal by Sargent and the rest of the Green leadership. However, Sargent announced that he would resign his position as leader of the party and would not accept a seat in cabinet. He was succeeded as leader by John Gormley.
The 27th Government of Ireland led by Bertie Ahern was formed on 14 June 2007, with the Greens given two seats at cabinet. On 20 June 2007, Sargent was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for Food and Horticulture. He was re-appointed by the 28th Government of Ireland when Brian Cowen succeeded Ahern as Taoiseach on 7 May 2008. When Cowen reduced the number of Ministers of State on 22 April 2009, Sargent was given the additional post of Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for Food Safety.On 23 February 2010, he resigned as a Minister of State when he admitted unlawfully contacting Gardaí about a criminal case involving a constituent who had been assaulted. He lost his seat at the 2011 general election, along with all the other Green Party TDs.
no relation