Harney to step down as PD leader after 13 years

Tánaiste Mary Harney has announced she is stepping down as leader of the Progressive Democrats.

Ms Harney (53), made the revelation at a press conference in Dublin's Merrion Hotel this afternoon.

She told the press conference she would leave her post as soon as the party had elected a successor. She has been in the position for 13 years.

Ms Harney has been Tánaiste since 1997 and is currently Minister for Health, a position she took up in September 2004.

While she said she would like to remain as Minister for Health, Ms Harney said that was a matter for the new party leader. The PD's were allocated two senior Cabinet Ministers as part of the coalition agreement with Fianna Fáil.

She said she had taken a longer holiday than usual this summer and that during three weeks off she had taken time to "reflect on matters political".

The PD leader said she had come to the conclusion that now is the right time for the party to elect a new leader, and also the right time for her to vacate the position she has held for 13 years.

"This afternoon at a meeting of the parliamentary party, I informed my colleagues of my intention to stand down as leader of the party as soon as my successor has been chosen by the party.

The leadership issue within the Progressive Democrats arose in June and at that time I received the unanimous support of my parliamentary colleagues, and I did commit to leading the party on to the next election.

"However, over the summer - and I took an unusually long holiday this year, I went away for three weeks - I had time on my own, with my husband, to reflect on matters political and I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for the Progessive Democrats to elect a new leader and it's also the right time for me to vacate that position."

Mary Harney

Ms Harney said that when she had been chosen as party leader 13 years ago, she had never envisaged she would stay in the position for so long.

Her predecessor, Des O'Malley, was leader for just eight years, she noted.

Ms Harney said it was important for political parties to reinvigorate themselves.

"I'm conscious that there is less than a year to go to the next election. However, we are a small party, we have very strong personalities within the party who are well known to the electorate.

"We have people who, in my view, can more than ably articulate the vision of the Progressive Democrats, and I feel proud to say that, I think, as a small party we have played a very important part in the politics of this country, particularly in Government in two periods between 1997 and to the current date, and in the previous period between 1989 and 1992."

The Tánaiste said she was privileged to serve the country in those Governments as a Progressive Democrats minister.

She told reporters she hoped the new PD leader, who must be a member of the Dáil, could be elected before the House resumes sitting in three weeks' time. Nominations for the election will close at noon next Monday, Ms Harney said.

PD deputy leader and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is front runner for the leadership position but remained tight-lipped at today's press conference.

He paid tribute to Ms Harney, saying she was "the most spectacularly successful employment minister in Western Europe: The person who brought Ireland from a country of mass unemployment to huge employment."

"Nobody in Europe, no Employment Minister, can match her achievements and in relation to health, nobody can match the scale of the reform programme that she is piloting through," he added.

On his own leadership aspirations, Mr McDowell said: "I'm reflecting the situation today, I'm making no further comment."

Ms Harney said she would not participate in the leadership election as it would not be right for her to do so.

However, she said she would give her successor her "total support" and would work hard for the party to increase its electoral strength at the next general election.

Ms Harney also denied there had been pressure on her to step down following reports recently of a rift between herself and Mr McDowell.

The PD leader said that when she had "reflected" and knew she was not going to stay in the position "much after the general election", she felt it would have been "dishonest of me to put myself forward, knowing I was going to stand down very quickly afterwards".

The Progressive Democrats currently have eight TDs in Leinster House, including Ms Harney. The others are Michael McDowell, Tim O'Malley, Tom Parlon, Liz O'Donnell, Fiona O'Malley, Noel Grealish and Mae Sexton.