VETERAN West Donegal TD Dinny McGinley is being tipped to become the Government’s new Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs when the new Cabinet is announced tomorrow.
However it’s not all good news as Fine Gael look set to downgrade the actual department of Social, Community and Rural Affairs altogether.
As Enda Kenny puts the final touches to his new cabinet, it appears that his threat to downgrade the Irish language is gathering momentum.
However the only source of comfort for Irish speakers across Donegal is that Dinny McGinley is to be the Junior Minister in charge of Gaeltacht Affairs.
Fine Gael’s Director of Elections in the South West, Pat Nora Gallagher, had tipped McGinley as being in line for a major post in the new cabinet the day before voters went to the polls.
There has been no official confirmation on the move but RTE are quoting sources as saying this is the case.
It is still unclear at this stage if the move will affect the various Government bodies including Udaras na Gaeltachta.
A source said the new Government will bring mixed blessings for native speakers in Donegal.
“It’s not good news for Irish language enthusiasts in places like Galway but Donegal will do okay out of it.
“McGinley will be the unofficial senior Minister for the Gaeltacht even though it is only a Junior MInistership.
“He is passionate about the language as everyone knows and the people of Donegal can at least comfort themselves with that fact,” said the source.
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