Progressive Democrats analysis:The PDs still have leverage, despite their losses, writes Stephen Collins,Political Editor
As the bruised and battered Progressive Democrats assembled in Dublin yesterday to consider the carnage of the election, they could scarcely believe one overriding political fact that is becoming clearer by the day: the party is once again pivotal to the formation of government despite its near-death experience.
Bertie Ahern needs the two surviving PDs to vote for his nomination as Taoiseach on June 14th if he is to be sure of pulling in the votes of at least four of the five Independents who will be required to put him back into office.
Without the PDs he would be skating on thin ice, and might not make it unless he did a deal with another party.
For Enda Kenny's remote chance of being elected Taoiseach on June 14th, the support of the PDs is even more vital.
If he could persuade the two PDs to come on side he would then have a chance of getting the five Independents to vote for him. Without the PDs, his chances go from slim to none.
Of course, Mr Ahern has the option of trying to do a deal with the Greens or the Labour Party. The first is regarded as too risky in the long term by many leading members of Fianna Fáil, while the second has little chance of succeeding at this stage given Pat Rabbitte's consistent line and his electoral mandate.
Mr Kenny's refusal to throw in the towel has focused attention on the leverage still possessed by the PDs in spite of the fact that they lost six of their eight seats.
The PDs appear to have prolonged their incredible electoral record of finding themselves in a key position for the formation of government on each occasion they have taken a beating at the polls, and 2007 could be a repeat of 1997 and 1989.
When the party held a series of meetings in Dublin yesterday, the Minister for Health and acting leader of the party, Mary Harney, reflected on the fact that it was a "sad day" for the party.
"We had a very disappointing election result. Everybody is very disappointed, so there will be a long discussion," she said, while refusing to be drawn about government options.
In the morning, the two surviving TDs, Ms Harney and the Galway West TD, Noel Grealish, were joined by the six TDs who had lost their seats and the five party senators for a meeting of the parliamentary party in Leinster House. Former leader and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell also attended.
In the afternoon the group was joined by a number of the party's founders, including its first leader, Des O'Malley, and by former TDs Bobby Molloy and Máirín Quill.
Most of the party's councillors, election candidates and directors of elections also attended. There were 100 people at the meeting which opened with an address by Mr O'Malley. Mr McDowell also spoke at the meeting, and received a standing ovation when he finished. One source said he had spoken about mistakes made before and during the campaign, and had accepted full responsibility for the outcome.
Ms Harney also spoke, and expressed her concern for those who had lost their seats and those who would lose their jobs as a result of the party's smaller size.
A number of speakers expressed their trust in Ms Harney to deal with the issue of formation of government but it was not discussed in detail.