By Chris Ashmore
A major re-alignment of the political scene on Donegal Co. Council could be on the cards following next Friday’s local elections.
Fianna Fail currently has 16 seats on Donegal Co. Council, but with opinion polls suggesting that the party is going to take a hit, it may find itself returning to the new council with fewer members.
Fine Gael will be hoping to cash in on a rising tide for the party. It currently has six members – in 2004 it had eight but two have since become independents – and is aiming to become the biggest party.
With 29 seats on the council, 15 are needed to have a majority – and this is vital when it comes to selecting candidates for the various committees.
But there is now a strong possibility that Sinn Fein (with three out-going councillors) and independents could hold the balance of power.
Likewise, there will be big interest in what happens on Letterkenny Town Council. Fianna Fail currently has five members but will be under pressure to retain a majority. Fine Gael, which currently has no members sitting on the town council (Cllr. Jimmy Harte became an independent although he was elected for the party in 2004) will be hoping to make gains. There are also a large number of independents in the field.