A spokesman for the Progressive Democrats refused to comment last night on a report that the Minister of State, Mr Bobby Molloy, would stand in the next general election. A report in the Galway Advertiser indicated that Mr Molloy was going to put himself up for election.
The Minister has yet to indicate officially whether he intends to run for the PDs in Galway West. Mr Molloy was not contactable last night.
The spokesman said the party wanted him to run and was hopeful that he would do so.
He is a former Mayor of Galway and was Minister for Defence in a Fianna Fβil Government under Jack Lynch.
The other four West Galway deputies are Mr Frank Fahy, Minister for the Marine; Mr Eamon ╙ Cu∅v, Minister of State for Agriculture; Mr Padraig McCormack, TD, chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, and former Minister Mr Michael D. Higgins, TD, (Labour).