Loss of senior PD paves way for O’Malley leadership
Mr Morrissey unsuccessfully contested general elections for the PDs in 2002 and this year. He was nominated to the Seanad by the party in 2002 and served a five-year term.
His departure from the political arena cements new senator Fiona O’Malley’s position as frontrunner to succeed Mary Harney as party leader.
Following the party’s election disaster in May, the PDs have a shortage of credible senior figures who could assume the leadership.
Of the party’s eight TDs, only Ms Harney and Galway West-based Noel Grealish retained their seats in the election. Ms Harney was forced to return to the leadership to succeed Michael McDowell, who was among the casualties. She has made clear she will not remain in the position in the long term.
The party’s rules stipulate that only a TD can lead the party, but Mr Grealish has expressed no interest in succeeding Ms Harney.
That paves the way for Ms O’Malley, who lost her seat in the Dun Laoghaire constituency in the election but was subsequently nominated by the party to the Seanad, along with another failed election candidate, Ciaran Cannon of Galway East.
An internal party committee which will report at the end of this month is expected to recommend changing the rules to allow non-TDs to contest the leadership.
Mr Cannon has also ruled out running, meaning Ms O’Malley is the sole Oireachtas member to put her name forward.
Mr Morrissey and another former senator, Colm O’Gorman, were expected to contest the leadership. Mr O’Gorman has not yet made clear his intentions.
However, Mr Morrissey yesterday said he had decided to retire from politics.
The Irish Examiner reported on Monday that Mr Morrissey had been overlooked for a Seanad seat when the party was considering its nominations over the summer.
However, Mr Morrissey said he had, in fact, told the party he did not wish to serve another term in the Seanad, and had therefore not sought a nomination.
He said he had chosen to depart politics because he had taken a five-year sabbatical from his business while trying to get elected to the Dáil and now felt the time was right to go back.
Mr Morrissey founded Irish Calendar and Diary Promotions in 1987. The company specialises in calendars and corporate diaries. He also has property interests.
He said he wished the party well. Just last week, party general secretary John Higgins told the Irish Examiner of his hope that Mr Morrissey would not quit politics as he was “an excellent talent” for the party.
