17-month delay in by-election ‘not unreasonable’

THE people of Donegal South-West were “not put at a disadvantage” by being left almost a year and a half without full Dáil representation, according to the Taoiseach.

After November 25 was announced as the date for the long-awaited by-election, Brian Cowen refused to accept the 17-month delay in holding it was “unreasonable” as stated in Wednesday’s High Court ruling.

“My view is that the people of Donegal have not been in any way put at a disadvantage because of the fact that there wasn’t a by-election held,” he said during an RTÉ interview, adding that the focus of the Government was to get a four-year plan and a budget through.