Phil Hogan
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
HONORARY CONFERRING
Wednesday, 3 July 11.00am
TEXT OF THE INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PROFESSOR J. PETER CLINCH, JEAN MONNET FULL PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY on 3 July 2024, on the occasion of the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, on PHIL HOGAN.
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President, Honoree, Colleagues, Distinguished Guests,
UCD is a leading global university in respect of the environment, rural development, food, climate, and the bioeconomy as well as having substantial strengths in economics, trade, EU policy and politics. The University is pleased to be honouring Phil Hogan for his distinguished contributions in these domains.
It is traditional when honouring a person of distinction, who has given decades of his life to public service, to open a citation with an inspirational quote from a renowned philosopher or political figure. In recognising that ‘all politics is local’, it is perhaps more appropriate to choose someone closer to Phil Hogan’s home:
Brian Cody, manager of the Kilkenny county team and, arguably, the greatest manager in the history of hurling, said:
“Leaders need to define not what that they seek to do today but what legacy they will leave for the future.”(opens in a new window)1
As a Councillor, a TD, a Minister, and an EU Commissioner, Phil Hogan has shown a drive, a commitment, and a passion for public service, for radical reform, that has left a legacy for the people he represented over a remarkable 40-year career. This culminated in his appointment as European Commissioner for Trade, one of the most significant international political offices to be held by an Irish person.
Phil Hogan was born in Kilkenny. He is very proud of his rural background. Growing up on a farm, he would use that background as a political tuning fork - often querying how the more abstract policy formulations might land with the ‘the hard-working farmer in Tullaroan’.
After attending UCC, he returned to Tullaroan to manage the family farm. It is remarkable to think that Phil would later become European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Having been elected to Kilkenny County Council aged just 22, Phil became a Senator in 1987 and won a seat in Dáil Éireann in 1989. Having served in a series of shadow cabinet positions, in 1994, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance and, in 2011, became Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government during which time he served as President of the Council of EU Environment Ministers. He introduced the Local Government Reform Act 2014, entailing the biggest reform of local government since the foundation of the State. He wasn’t afraid to be unpopular when introducing gender quotas for election candidates, setting up Irish Water, and introducing domestic water charges. Importantly, he published the first draft Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill.
In 2014, Phil Hogan was appointed by President Juncker to be European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development where, combining his economics training, his real-world experience on the farm, and his experience of having founded a small business, he set about integrating rural development with the employment and growth strategies of the EU. During his tenure, the EU became the largest exporter of agri-food products in the world, with exports of €138 billion in 2018.
His negotiation skills, honed in Irish politics, as well as keeping his feet firmly on the ground helped in positioning him as an important member of the Commission. He developed strong relationships between Europe and other trading blocks, notably negotiating trade deals with Latin America (Mercosour)and Japan, and a common action plan with Africa.
The trust placed in Phil by the Commission and EU leaders was evident. He became an important advocate for Europe and Ireland’s interests during the Brexit negotiations. There is no doubt he had a big role in ensuring that Ireland’s interests were protected.
Phil’s success in negotiating trade deals, promoting growth and jobs, his ability to forge diplomatic relationships, and his trusted commentary on issues of great economic importance to the Union were, no doubt, the reasons why he was appointed European Commissioner for Trade, arguably the most important Commissioner post, the most senior held by an Irish person, and certainly a considerable honour for Phil and for Ireland. His ambitions were clear when he said “The EU’s trade policy must be used to promote our values ... especially in areas like climate action, sustainable development, labour rights, standards, and women’s empowerment”.
To conclude, it is said that you may travel the world, but your hometown will always be your anchor. We read reports that Phil is now spearheading Kilkenny GAA’s Corporate Plan to 2030. This, I believe, encapsulates the man. Phil Hogan has travelled the world but has never forgotten his roots in Tullaroan and he will, most importantly, and proudly, remain a Kilkenny man.
It is my honour to present Phil Hogan to the President of UCD, Professor Orla Feely, for the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa to Phil Hogan.
Praehonorabilis Praeses, totaque Universitas,
Praesento vobis hunc meum filium, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneum esse qui admittatur, honoris causa, ad Gradum Doctoratus Scientiae; idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo, totique Academiae.