FF man set to take over from Gallagher as MEP

Fianna Fáil Galway councillor Mr Seán Ó Neachtain is set to become an MEP.

This follows the appointment as Minister of State yesterday of Connacht-Ulster MEP, Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher.

Under the European Parliament Election 1997 Act, Mr Gallagher, TD for Donegal South West, is required to stand down as an MEP and be replaced by a substitute chosen before the last European Parliament elections in 1999.

Then, Minister of State Mr Noel Treacy was selected as Mr Gallagher's substitute. Yesterday he was appointed Minister of State for agriculture.

Mr Ó Neachtain was next in line, followed by former minister for justice and former Longford- Roscommon TD Mr Sean Doherty.

Under the 1997 Act, the Clerk of the Dáil, Mr Kieran Coughlan, has 20 days in which to verify whether the Galway East-based Mr Treacy intends to take up the Brussels-based posting.

Mr Ó Neachtain, who has been a member of the European Union's Committee of the Regions since 1994, was confident last night that he would be replacing Mr Gallagher as Fianna Fáil's Connacht-Ulster MEP.

"I am prepared to serve. I am interested in the European issue. I would be honoured if it happens that everything goes according to plan," said the Connemara-based Mr Ó Neachtain, the current vice-chairman of Galway County Council.

Besides the Committee of the Regions, he is also a member of the Western Regional Authority, the Border-Midlands-Western Regional Assembly.

He chaired Údarás na Gaeltachta between 1991 and 1996.

The last occasion when a substitute became an MEP came after Labour's Mr Barry Desmond was appointed to the European Union's Court of Auditors.

His first two substitutes, Mr Ruairi Quinn and Ms Joan Burton, declined the opportunity to become MEP.

This ensured that the third substitute on the list, Ms Bernie Malone took his place.

She ran in the subsequent European Parliament election and defeated Ms Orla Guerin.