Cowen insists he has mandate as Taoiseach

BRIAN COWEN last night insisted he had a mandate to continue as Taoiseach – despite the fact both his and his party’s popularity are plummeting.

Mr Cowen said his mandate came from the Dáil, even if the public are losing faith in him.

“Under our Constitution, so long as I have the support of the majority of people in Dáil Éireann, I’m the Taoiseach and that’s my mandate,” he said. Speaking on Today FM’s The Last Word, Mr Cowen insisted he would not call a general election, even if the public delivered a damning verdict in the June 5 elections.