The acting leader of the Progressive Democrats, Mary Harney, has strongly defended the decision to go into coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Greens in the face of strong criticism from a founding member and trustee of the party.
Paul MacKay, a central PD figure for more than 20 years, wrote to Ms Harney before the vote for Taoiseach pleading with her not to support Bertie Ahern and warning that such a move would result in the PDs being a "downtown sub-office" of Fianna Fáil.
It is understood Mr MacKay will not be allowing his name to go forward for reappointment as a trustee and honorary treasurer of the party at a general council meeting of the party on June 30th.
In his letter, he claimed the decision to go into Government with Fianna Fáil was made without prior approval of the PD general council. He said he would be raising the matter at Thursday's meeting of the party's national executive.
A spokesman for Ms Harney said last night that she strongly rejected Mr MacKay's claims. On the Wednesday after the election the national executive "unanimously mandated Ms Harney to decide on government options".
The spokesman said two days before the Dáil reconvened after the election, on June 12th, party chairman Peter Wyer wrote to Ms Harney telling her that her mandate to make the final decision continued. Ms Harney was said to be furious at the letter from Mr MacKay, sent on June 11th, extracts which he sent to general council members.
She replied this weekend expressing surprise at the tone in which Mr McKay had expressed his views. She said if he felt that strongly, it had been open to him at any time since 1989 to resign his position as a trustee of the party but he did not.
The Minister said he was prepared to accept government appointments to State boards which could only imply that he had no fundamental objection to the party's coalition with Fianna Fáil. She said it was always the case that the PDs were prepared to re-enter government with Fianna Fáil subject to agreeing a programme for government.
Ms Harney said that before and during the election campaign, in his capacity as trustee, Mr MacKay attended party fundraising events where the clear message to those whose financial support was being sought was that the return of the then government was the best thing. If he had fundamental problems with this, he should have told those whose financial support he was seeking.
Mr MacKay could not be contacted for comment yesterday.