PDs 'prepared to play our part' in coalition

PD reactionThe Progressive Democrats were willing to participate in government once again, acting party leader and Minister for Health Mary Harney said last night.

The PDs had previously announced yesterday morning that she would be taking over the duties of leader until a government was established.

The party statement said: "Given the present circumstances, the chairman of the Progressive Democrats Peter Wyer has asked the Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney to assume the functions and responsibilities of party leader until the formation of the next government."

Later, Ms Harney said: "We are prepared to play our part in a coherent stable government."

Meanwhile, PD president and Minister of State for Finance Tom Parlon, who lost his seat in Laois-Offaly, expressed disappointment in a NewsTalk radio interview that there was no transfer arrangement in his constituency, where Minister for Finance Brian Cowen got a huge personal vote.

"Myself and Brian Cowen, we share the same county, we share the same ministry and we share the same government," Mr Parlon said. "One would expect normally that those transfers should be coming in my direction, that's obviously a deficit in terms of our party management over the last while and relations at top level."

Questioned on the internal PD debate over the Taoiseach's personal finances, Mr Parlon said there was a "clear consensus" among the parliamentary party at its meeting on May 5th that they should not pull out of government, "yet the frenzy went on overnight and into the next morning".

Commenting on the current state of the party, he told Marian Finucane on RTÉ Radio One: "It's a very sensitive time and it's a very raw time for us."

He added: "We should continue in government if that opportunity arises and I would be very anxious to see Mary Harney continuing on in her health portfolio."

Asked about party leader Michael McDowell's dramatic resignation after losing his seat, Mr Parlon said: "I can understand his fairly rash decision at the time."

Bobby Molloy, former minister and founding member of the PDs, has ruled out a return to the Fianna Fáil fold.

"Why? It would be very boring to go back into Fianna Fáil after all the excitement of the PDs," he told The Irish Times at the Galway West count centre.

"Our political party exists, we have our policies and our organisation. With representation down to two TDs, we are very weak, but the party will survive."

Noel Grealish, who was re-elected in Galway West, said he was delighted with the doubling of his vote, with an 83 per cent first preference showing in his home parish of Carnmore.

On his party's future, he said he intended to "go away for a few days". After that he would be talking to Ms Harney and party members. Mr Grealish said joining Fianna Fáil was "not on the cards" and no such proposal had been made to him.

"I feel we have to rebuild again, but we have to be practical," he added. "Mary Harney has been in politics for the last 30 years, with 10 years as party leader."

Fiona O'Malley, who lost her Dáil seat in Dún Laoghaire, told Ursula Halligan of TV3 she had no idea that her party leader was going to resign.

"I think it's a little rash to make decisions like that in the heat of a defeat," Ms O'Malley said. "It's a moment that you're not at your best in terms of making judgments and things like that, they're best left to a calmer environment."