If the whole country can see this, why can't Cowen? To leave her in charge of Enterprise, Trade & Employment when its probably never been a more important and crucial economic Department is irresponsible in the extreme.
Politics in Ireland in particular is not about what's best for the country, it's all about vested interests and party interests.
Coughlan is part of the Cowen clique; she supported him when he went for the leadership. It would be unthinkable to drop her, regardless of how bad she is, it would undermine the status quo completely. There would then be no point in sticking with your clique though thick and thin if you could be discarded for something simple like incompetence.
Coughlan will stay, as will the other Cowenites. The ones likely to be sacrificed to appease the mob will be some of the remnants of the Bertie bunch.