The Donegal Tanaiste
May 7th, 2008Congratulations to Mary Coughlan TD on her appointment today as Tanaiste, and Minister for Trade and Enterprise. This is a massive coup for the Donegal South West constituency, and indeed for the county as a whole. Mary is a very able politician, with a massive background of political experience, and will bring much to her new role.
Brian Cowen is set to have a difficult time as Taoiseach. I believe he’s the right man for the job; indeed, I think it would have been better for the party had Bertie Ahern stepped aside sooner. His years in Finance, and other ministries, will give him a head start on his new portfolio. Ireland faces uncertain times; a strong hand in Government is vital. I hope Cowen will be able to deliver this.
As for the rest of the cabinet, I think it will take some time before things become clear. There is one minister in there that I would rather see out, but that hasn’t happened. A few teacher’s I’ve spoken to are quite happy with the new face in Education, and Agricultural will be a tough job at a tough time for Brendan Smith.
We’ll need to wait and see on a variety of fronts with this cabinet. Brian Cowen will need to hit the ground running, to bring stability to the economy and to address the issues in Health and Education. New minsters in Justice, Enterprise, Foreign Affairs and Finance can’t afford to take their eyes off the ball.