Posted online: Aug 4th, 2010

The High Court is to hear a case seeking the government to hold the Donegal South West By-election on October 18. The President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns heard the date had been agreed by both parties and said the case could go ahead on that day, subject to the availability of a judge.
Sinn Fein’s Senator Pearse Doherty took the action as the seat has been vacant for over a year since Pat the Cope Gallagher was elected to the European Parliament. Senator Pearse Doherty mounted his legal challenge and was in the High Court on Thursday last. Speaking with the Donegal Post Senator Pearse Doherty explained “I welcome the fact that the case will be for mention on the 18th of October and will be heard that week. I think it would have been honest and decent for the government to announce the by-election date today as opposed to challenging it in court”. “This is a double blow for the people of Donegal not only are they not getting a by-election but now they will have to use tax payers money to pay for the challenge. The government is scared of the by-election. The electorate will vent their anger on voting day whether it is a by-election or a national general election.”
Senator Doherty continued to say “this is an arrogant excuse for a government which is more interested in its own fate than it is in the democratic rights of the citizens of this state.” The SF Senator explained “it has continually failed the people of my constituency and has arrogantly left them under represented for more than a year at a time when a third of the work place is unemployed, when our general hospital is facing ward closures and when some of our community hospitals are facing full closure”. He finished with “this whole episode highlights the urgent need for reform of the system of dealing with Dail vacancies as they arise”.