'This is the right time': Businessman John Mullins on why he wants to move into politics
Businessman and entrepreneur John Mullins believes his history of delivery in business and civic life over three decades will help him secure the Fine Gael nomination to stand for election in Ireland South in the upcoming European elections.
Businessman and entrepreneur John Mullins believes his history of delivery in business and civic life over three decades will help him secure the Fine Gael nomination to stand for election in Ireland South in the upcoming European elections.
Mr Mullins, 55, a former CEO of Bord Gáis and the Port of Cork but who has spent the last decade building his renewables firm, Amarenco, has been a key strategist for the party since his student days.
But as he confirmed that he is putting his name forward for consideration at the party's selection convention for Ireland South on March 10 for the European elections, he told the : “You only get one opportunity at life, and I’ve done a lot to date but I felt now, this is the right time for me to do this.
“I have spent the last few months discussing with family and friends the idea of standing for election and I only decided in recent days to throw my hat in the ring.
"I’d like to think that I have a history of delivery, on infrastructure, transport, energy, waste management - a wide variety of industries - over the course of my business career, but I’ve also had many civic roles.
“I have a reputation as someone who delivers what they say they will.”
Among his priorities, if selected and then elected, will be the creation of what he described as a “new rural contract” with farmers in Ireland, the creation of “pragmatic transitional environmental policies”, and ensuring “fair but firm” migration policies.
But he said he hopes to bring his specific expertise to tackle planning issues which are stalling the delivery of housing, renewables, and other major infrastructure, and ensuring energy security and energy independence.
It’s virtually certain that he will be ratified as the party’s second candidate in Ireland South, alongside Sean Kelly MEP.
It had been reported that the Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, the party’s director of elections for the European election, was struggling to fill the place on the ticket left by the retirement of Deirdre Clune.
But Mr Coveney dismissed that last night and said he was delighted that Mr Mullins had confirmed that he was putting his name forward.
“He is a very serious candidate and we are lucky to have him,” Mr Coveney said.
“He has a fantastic CV and could be an impactful figure. And Ireland needs to send experienced motivated people to Europe who can be impactful in EU debates.”
Mr Mullins, who will be 56 by the time of the selection convention, grew up in council estates in Cork city, in Knocknaheeny, and later in Bishopstown, and was educated at the North Mon.
An engineering graduate of UCC, he joined Young Fine Gael in early 1990s, serving as national president from 1993 to 1995.
He worked in senior positions in the ESB, PwC, NTR Plc, Greenstar and Bioverda, before he was appointed chief executive of Bórd Gáis in 2007.
He left the gas company in 2012, and was appointed chairman of the Port of Cork a year later, a position he held for five years.
He founded Amarenco Solar in 2013, which today has 240 employees and renewable investments in 14 countries.
He put his name forward to run for Fine Gael in the Cork North Central by-election in 1994 but was beaten in the selection convention by Colm Burke, who has served as TD for the constituency since 2020.
He is a former member of the party’s executive council, he has been director of elections in three general elections, he is a trustee of the party, and he was brought in by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to oversee the party’s electoral campaigns earlier this year.
He is a previous president of Cork Chamber, he has chaired two Global Cork Economic Forums, and he is a founding chairman of Anamcara, the charity for bereaved parents, and chairman of Energycloud, a charity for the fuel poor. He is also a director of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and chairman of UCC Mardyke Arena.
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