CONSTITUENCY PROFILE/DONEGAL:A 125 PER cent rise over two years in jobless numbers in Donegal has emerged as the major concern of voters in the county. Canvassers for all parties in the council election campaign are constantly reminded that the 18,000 out of work in the county is an increase of 10,000 since the 2007 general election.
The euphoria that greeted Mary Coughlan’s appointment as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has been replaced – even among traditional Fianna Fáil supporters – with disenchantment over unfulfilled expectations that she would reverse the jobs slide. Another concern is the HSE decision to transfer cancer care services from Sligo General Hospital – which serves much of south Donegal – to Galway.
Fianna Fáil holds 16 of the 29 seats on the council. Party strategists reckon they will do well to retain 14. Their opponents predict 12 FF seats is more realistic. Party stalwarts, Alice Bonner in the Stranorlar electoral area and Francis Conaghan in Inishowen, have opted not to seek re-election.
The absence of Mr Conaghan, whose father Hugh was a TD for 12 years until 1989, has boosted the prospects of Fine Gael picking up the seat, with high-profile candidate Keith Roulston, former Donegal Irish Farmers’ Association chairman and a former vice president of Macra Na Feirme.
Donegal is divided into two Dáil constituencies. It has six separate electoral areas, but with the redrawing of the boundaries, these have been reduced to five.
The Milford electoral area has vanished and its three seats divided between Inishowen and an enlarged Letterkenny electoral area. Independent Ian McGarvey, who represented Milford, is seeking at the age of 78 to win another term on the council as a Letterkenny representative.
The Stranorlar electoral area has been enlarged from three seats to five, with the Glenties and Donegal electoral areas both reduced from six seats to five. The most intriguing contest is Glenties where Séamus Ó Domhnaill, brother of Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill, has opted to run as an Independent and sitting councillor Padraig Doherty (64) quit Fine Gael to also run as an Independent.
In the south of the county, hotel boss Seán McEniff (73) may top the poll in the Donegal electoral area for Fianna Fáil as he enters his 50th year in politics.
Sinn Féin is confident it will add two seats to the three it holds on the council, while Labour has, for the first time in Co Donegal, six candidates.