Phil Hogan to spend 'significant' sum of own money in bid for top UN role

Phil Hogan has launched his campaign to be the next director general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), having been nominated by the Government. File picture

Former environment minister Phil Hogan expects to spend a "significant" six-figure sum of his own money in a bid to lead the UN's food agency.

Mr Hogan on Tuesday launched his campaign to be the next director general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), having been nominated by the Government.

Mr Hogan has been given two staff members from the Department of Agriculture and has Irish embassies "at his disposal", but said his campaign will be funded from his own pocket.

“All other expenses associated with the campaign, travel, subsistence, accommodation... are all at my expense,” Mr Hogan said.

“I haven't done a tot in relation to the cost, but all I will say is that it's going to be a significant six-figure sum,” he stated.

The UN role is due to be filled next year, with the current office holder, China's Qu Dongyu, set to complete his term in mid-2027.

It has been 50 years since the FAO has had a director general from a European country.

Mr Hogan was forced to resign as EU trade commissioner in 2020 in the wake of the Golfgate affair, which saw him attend an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden when covid restrictions were in force. 

Mr Hogan said he had "disappointed a lot of people and disappointed myself" but that he had learned lessons from the affair.

“We have gone into the history lesson on that,” Mr Hogan said.

“I was sloppy in relation to the guidelines that were there at the time," he admitted, though he added that the incident has not been mentioned in his campaign thus far.

“I have learned a lot of lessons from that as well, and now having learned those lessons and having a number of years in the private sector, I feel this is an opportunity that I want to address through the various passions that I have for the subject of the FAO, and the reform it needs,” Mr Hogan said.

Mr Hogan faces competition to be the European nominee for the role, but said he has already received commitments of support for his bid, while “Latin America is wide open”.

“So if there's five candidates at the end of the day in the field, which is what is there at the moment, if you get 70 to 75 votes on the first count, you're likely to be elected,” he added.

• Paul Hosford, Deputy Political Editor