Incoming Taoiseach knows challenge at DkIT

Another new Taoiseach is about to take over in government buildings and at least this one, Simon Harris will have insight knowledge of one of the bugbears in this locality, the failure to raise the DkIT to university status.

The new Taoiseach, when he takes over next month, visited the campus on a number of occasions as Minister for Higher Education, and will therefore have intimate knowledge of the situation.

It may not be one of his priorities when he takes over as Taoiseach, but he should be reminded of his commitment, and encouraged to see the process advance in the coming year in which he is expected to lead the government before the election.

Unfortunately Louth won’t have a seat at the new Cabinet table to advance the case for the DkIT, and it’s all of 13 years now when Dermot Ahern retired from politics that the constituency was represented in Cabinet.

Nor is the prospect of Louth or indeed the north-east ever occupying the top chair in Cabinet, although that very astute politician from Monaghan, Heather Humphreys was mentioned in dispatches this week when Leo stepped down.

The nearest Louth ever came to having one of their TD’s heading the government was Frank Aiken who was Tanaiste between 1965 and 1969, having served for 50 years as a Deputy for the constituency.

Louth, like many other constituencies, gets it hard to get past the Dublin preference that prevails in all political parties, although the new incumbent has his base in the fringes of Dublin in Greystones and that may be a good start.