Harney threatens to pull out of Government

TÁNAISTE and Progressive Democrat leader Mary Harney yesterday indicated that she would be prepared to pull out of Government if Fianna Fail continued to use the PDs as scapegoats for its poor election performance.

In an apparent escalation of the ongoing rift between the Government parties, Ms Harney said continued scapegoating of her party could result in Fianna Fail finding themselves without a coalition partner.

“There is no question of people seeking to scapegoat the PDs in this Government. If that’s the view that people have then of course alternatives may happen very quickly,” she said.

Responding to a speech made on Saturday by Communications Minister Dermot Ahern, in which he criticised the ethos of the PDs, Ms Harney insisted the PDs could not be held accountable for Fianna Fail’s electoral problems.

But as continued tension between both parties increases speculation that the coalition may actually split altogether, the PD leader insisted the relationship between the Government parties was still sound.

However she pointedly added that a continued and productive relationship required the cooperation of both parties.

Asked to clarify Ms Harney’s remarks her spokesman later said there was no point in staying in Government if the party’s agenda could not be pursued.

The Government spokeswoman also said the Taoiseach was happy with the progress made to date on the coalition’s programme for government but defended Minister Ahern’s speech.

“The Taoiseach wouldn’t have any difficulty with anybody in Fianna Fail outlining to our own members what the philosophy of Fianna Fail is,” she said. Although Mary Harney is not expected to raise the issue at Cabinet today Minister Ahern is expected to seek to explain the context of his speech to the PD leader.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said the public considered both parties equally to blame for the deception of the electorate in advance of the 2002 general election. “The fact is that there is now so little political difference between the two parties that Charlie McCreevy and Seamus Brennan could fit as easily into the PDs as Mary Harney and Tom Parlon could into Fianna Fail,” he said.