Mr Michael McDowell remains the Progressive Democrats' great white hope, as they plan what effectively amounts to a relaunch of the party at their next annual conference in Cork in November. The party is anxious that Mr McDowell, who came back from the political wilderness to become Attorney General in July last year, will contest the Dublin South East constituency at the next election.
The man who once coined the memorable phrase that the party would have to be "radical or redundant" was a highly impressive performer in the Dail chamber as a TD, and was also regarded as the ideological engine of the party.
Mr McDowell revelled in the cut and thrust of politics and was devastated by his defeat by Mr John Gormley, of the Green Party, by 27 votes after a marathon count in the 1997 election. This was followed by a reported rift between him and the party leader, Ms Mary Harney, and his announcement in October 1997 that he intended to retire from politics when his membership of the party expired the following March. However, he remained in the public eye, and Ms Harney appointed him chairman of the Company Law Compliance and Enforcement Committee.
Then came his appointment as AG, and, last June, Mr McDowell had tentative talks with senior members of the party about rejoining. Mr McDowell, it is understood, will rejoin only if he gets a senior role within the party.
If he decides to run in Dublin South East, his principal target will be Mr Gormley's seat. The other three TDs for the constituency, the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, the Fianna Fail Minister of State for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Mr Eoin Ryan, and Fine Gael's Ms Francis Fitzgerald, are considered to have safe seats.
Mr McDowell's political career has mirrored the party's ups and downs. He was first elected in the constituency in 1987, lost his seat in 1989, won it back in 1992, and lost narrowly in the last election.
In that election, Mr Ryan headed the poll, with 6,494 first preferences, and was elected on the seventh count; Ms Fitzgerald, with 5,501, was elected on the ninth count, Mr Quinn, with 6,113, was elected on the 10th count.
Mr Gormley outpolled Mr McDowell in first preferences - 4,296 compared to 4,022 - and narrowly won on the 11th count.
Since then, Mr Quinn has improved his profile as Labour leader, Mr Ryan as a junior minister and Ms Fitzgerald as a member of the Fine Gael front bench. Mr Gormley has improved his profile as an outspoken and sometimes controversial contributor to Dail debates.
However, Mr McDowell is also in the public eye as Attorney General and would be a formidable candidate. If he does run, he is likely to do so as a senior member of the party.