Posted online: May 15th, 2008

Donegal SW Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has been sensationally axed as a Minister of State, just days after the elevation of constituency colleague, Minister Mary Coughlan to Tánaiste.
It has been a turbulent week in Donegal south west politics, but ultimately it would appear that Minister Coughlan’s rising star came at the cost of the Cope’s demise.
And the cruel nature of politics has rarely exhibited itself in such a dramatic fashion than in Donegal south west over the past seven days – for indeed, a week is a long time in politics!
Ironically, the Cope’s last major announcement was 135 much needed jobs for Dungloe on Monday.
Newly elected Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Minister of State that with 13 years under his belt as a junior minister, it was time to give someone else the job. It is also understood that the Taoiseach said he would find it hard to justify both a Tánaiste with a senior Ministry and Junior ministry in the same constituency.
The Cope has had a distinguished Ministerial career in the junior ranks, stretching back to his first appointment in 1987, later serving under three Taoisigh.
After FF lost one of its three seats in Donegal south west in 1997, he was persuaded to come back from Europe, regaining the lost seat in 2002 which Independent candidate Thomas Gildea had won.
Widely acknowledged as one of the hardest working TD’s in Dail Eireann, Deputy Gallagher told the Donegal Post that he had been overwhelmed with the ground swell of support that he had received since the news broke.
He also warned any potential pretenders to the throne that no-one should consider writing his political obituary at this stage.
“It’s the government’s prerogative to hire and fire Ministers of State and I am a little disappointed having served the constituency of Donegal south west since first elected in 1981, when I secured an additional seat for the party. When I returned from Europe, it was again to secure a second Fianna Fáil seat in Donegal south west. I did what was asked of me by Fianna Fáil and am proud of all my achievements, with absolutely no regrets,” he said.
He hoped that the appointment of Mary Coughlan as Tánaiste would be enough to gain two seats for FF in the next General election.
“I have an obligation to the people of south west Donegal who have elected me consistently since 1981 and I would hope that they will see no change in the level of service that I have provided.”
As to the future he added: “I believe that my services are required to ensure that we secure two seats for Fianna Fáil for what I hope would be a future Fianna Fáil government after the next general election and that he (the Taoiseach) would be anxious that I would still be available. He is aware that had I not been there last time, we would have lost the second seat.”
And on a last defiant note he added: “I’ve been around a long time and have seen people come and go. I am very grateful for to have good health and if there was an election in the morning, I feel that I would still match the youngest. People should not be thinking of writing my political obituary yet.”

Reporter: Michael McHUGH