Former Tánaiste Mary Coughlan: 'Instead of change, people want stability'

Mary Coughlan fears that recent attacks on and threats against senior politicians will prove off-putting to some of the 'right people' who may be considering political life.

The former Tánaiste and Minister for Agriculture is now the Chair of Fianna Fáil's Comhairle Dáil Ceantair in Donegal.

Although it is 13 years since she lost her Dáil seat in 2011, the Frosses woman has, despite being in the background, kept firmly in tune with what's happening at the forefront.

She has become worried at recent trends. A hoax security alert at the home of An Taoiseach Simon Harris prompted outrage across the political spectrum and news that Garda chiefs are discussing possible adding to the number of armed detectives from the Special Detective Unit deployed to guard Ministers.

So, too, the incident last week where a masked man issued threats, on a video posted on social media to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

“If we don't move back and stop vilifying politicians, if we don't move back and, instead of creating a situation where 'they're all the same' . . . I think we would be very very sorry if we continued to do that,” Coughlan told the MacGill Summer School in Glenties.

“We need good strong politicians, regardless of their parties or their perspectives.

“They should be respected for the work that they do and called out if it's not the right thing, but please stop doing what you're doing now because we won't have the right people elected to represent each and every one of us.

“This is where the concern is coming up to an election: That we have the right candidates and that we have people who are representative of society and that that can be reflected in the houses of Oireachtas. That won't happen unless we support and encourage people into political life.”

Ms Coughlan, who is also the Donegal GAA Chairperson, took part in a discussion chaired by Jude Webber, the Ireland Correspondent with the Financial Times, at the MacGill Summer School.

She said: “It is very disappointing that we are still sitting here talking about getting more women involved in politics and getting younger people involved in politics.

“If people are complacent then you're not going to have a true reflection of what people feel.”

While Fianna Fáil lost two seats in Donegal County Council at the recent local elections, Ms Coughlan doesn't quite share the view that the public is demanding change to the level that has been often portrayed.

“Instead of change, I think people want stability,” she said.

“They want to be assured that whatever decisions are made will be the right decisions and will be for the betterment of society for their families.

“I think people can be frightened by change, depending on what the change is all about. Is change about doing things better? Absolutely. Is change about turning everything upside-down? Absolutely no way.

“I think people have seen through populism. If it was easy to do and we had the solutions, sure the people who are there would've done it.”