Roderic O'Gorman has expressed his expectation that incidents and protests outside his home or at public events may 'continue or grow' if he is elected as the leader of the Green Party.

In an exclusive chat with Dublin Live, he revealed that he has 'already had to readjust his life', adding that those targeting him on social media were 'never' going to vote for his party.

The new leader of the Greens will be chosen on Monday, with the race between Integration Minister Mr O'Gorman and Super Junior Minister Pippa Hackett reaching its final stages.

This follows Eamon Ryan's announcement last month that he was stepping down after 13 years in charge.

During his resignation speech, the Transport Minister discussed the level of abuse he has received on social media, particularly highlighting the vile messages he received following his father's death.

Mr O'Gorman told Dublin Live that he accepts the high level of abuse he already receives may escalate, including demonstrations outside his Blanchardstown, West Dublin home which he shares with his husband Ray Healy.

He said: 'I've already had to readjust my life to these sorts of instances.

Whether it's the constant online attacks, whether it's the incidents outside my house or public events that I attend.

It's likely that they will continue and, indeed, grow if I do become party leader.

'I've already had to readjust my life to these sorts of instances.

That is just something that I'll have to deal with myself.

I'm very lucky in terms of having the support of An Garda Siochana.

Having protective officers is not something I take for granted.'

Mr O'Gorman added there was significant online hostility and that plenty of people online had a lot of things to say about him.

He said: 'How real a lot of that is, I suppose you have to question.

'Obviously, there are people, particularly on the far right, who don't like what I've done.

Don't like what I've done in terms of meeting the needs of people who've fled here.

'They don't like what I've done in terms of looking to advance equality for women, for LGBTI+ people, for Travellers.

They were never going to vote for the Green Party anyway.'

In an interview with the Irish Mirror earlier this week, Ms Hackett said she believes electing Mr O'Gorman Green Party leader is not the 'image we want'.

He countered that by saying he has had 'far worse things said about me than that over the years'.

As the minister refused to get into a tit-for-tat, he argued party members aren't 'overly focused in terms of that kind of personality side of things'.

However, he did disagree with Mrs Hackett's assessment that no Green seats are safe.

He stated he would like to retain and build on the 12 seats that the party already has in the Dail.

If he is elected leader, Mr O'Gorman added he wants to focus not only on climate policies but to show the public that the Green Party has other priorities.

The Minister stated: '[I want to make] sure that people understand the Greens are concerned about health, are concerned about housing, about cost of living issues.

I can point to what I have done in my department to actually assist those issues.

But I don't think the public understands our policy focus outside of the area of climate and biodiversity.'

After a disappointing local and European election campaign, the Greens lost their two MEPs, Ciaran Cuffe and Grace O'Sullivan.

While the party maintained a strong base in Dublin at the local council level, its representatives in rural and other urban areas struggled.

Minister O'Gorman acknowledges his party 'doesn't have a good reputation in rural Ireland right now'.

However, he fears the conversation around the leadership has been too 'black and white, simplistic' and is 'Dublin vs the rest'.

When asked about his understanding of rural Ireland, he pointed out that in his early life, his next-door neighbour in Mulhuddart was a 'farmer'.

The minister said while the area has developed now, he 'grew up in the countryside'.

Mr O'Gorman added: 'As a party, we have to reflect maybe on the tone we've used in the past.

Certainly, I would have said 10 [or]15 years ago, our tone was quite preachy.

We have moved away from that.

I've always consciously looked to move away from that.'

'I’ve already had to readjust my life to these sorts of instances.

I’m much more comfortable with someone like Pippa or [Green Senator] Roisin Garvey, for example, going out to talk about rural issues because they have that lived experience.

I recognize that I don't.'

The Green Party's leadership race kicks off today, with the new leader set to be revealed on Monday.