A newly-elected TD who was also given a ministerial role has hinted that a TD from the border counties will be agiven a junior ministerial role in the current Dáil. Peter Burke is the 34th Dáil's Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. The Longford-Westmeath TD was on the Joe Finnegan Show earlier when he was asked about the lack of a minister on the border counties.
Of the total 15 total seats up for grabs in the Cavan-Monaghan, Donegal and Louth constituencies in the last election, six went to Sinn Féin candidates, five to Fianna Fáil and two to Fine Gal with labour and Independent taking the remaining two seats. Despite Fianna Fáil returning to government with seven seats along the border, there is no minister between the four border counties.
Before the last election, Heather Humphreys was Minister for Rural Affairs in Cavan-Monaghan and Charlie McConnalogue from Donegal held the Minister for Agriculture post. Peter Burke justified this by saying the Shared Ireland projects undertaken by the last government is now exclusively under the ambit of the Taoiseach. Deputy Burke also alluded to the fact that the border may get a junior minister (listen below):
