'Parlon country': The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Tom Parlon, has defended his party's performance in Laois and Offaly where the Progressive Democrats fielded 17 candidates and won five local authority seats.
The former Irish Farmers' Association president rejected claims that the panel of PD candidates in his constituency was excessively dominated by people with a background in farming and farm politics rather than community activism.
Critics described the PD campaign in "Parlon Country" as "a flop, a damp squib" , adding that the panel of candidates generally lacked "crossover" appeal for urban voters.
The PDs ran nine candidates in Co Offaly and won four local authority seats, including two on the county council.
Mr Parlon last night compared the late surge by these two council candidates with the Wexford hurling team's performance in Croke Park yesterday.
In Co Laois, the PDs ran eight people and won one seat, but critics pointed out that this council seat had been held previously by the party.
"Overall, for a fledgling organisation taking on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, I think it's a good result," he said.
Organising the party machine to service such a large number of candidates was "very difficult" and funding was also a challenge. "We funded it entirely from individuals and from what cash we raised locally," he said. "There was a major degree of naivety about our campaign, genuinely, because people never stood before and didn't know how the system works. We have learned a load of lessons from this and it will stand to the organisation in the future," Mr Parlon said.
Mr Parlon said there had been only one PD councillor in either county prior to last week's vote. He added that there was a "hiccup" in Tullamore, where the PD candidate withdrew for personal reasons and had to be replaced, a few weeks before the election.
His closest friend and neighbour, Mr Liam Egan, was expected to perform better in the Birr area but Mr Parlon pointed out that Fianna Fáil had nominated his [Mr Parlon's] brother-in-law, Mr William Loughnane, and this had cut into Mr Egan's vote.
