Parties eye up Donegal by-election

POSTURING has begun ahead of the by-election to fill the Dáil seat vacated with Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher’s departure for Europe.

His Donegal South West seat vacancy opened immediately after his election and if the opposition manage a repeat of weekend victories it would whittle away the Government’s Dáil majority.

Yesterday Taoiseach Brian Cowen said he had yet to consider when to hold the by-election. He had been pressed by Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín O Caoláin to move it as quickly possible.