About 300 Green Party members gathered Dublin yesterday to review its disastrous election performance and assess options for the future.
The informal think-in took place in private in a Dublin hotel and while no decisions on the future of the party were taken at the meeting, members put forward ideas and views on the direction the party should now take.
The party lost all six of its Dáil seats in last month’s election and polled so badly that it is no longer eligible for State funding. Its leader, John Gormley, has indicated his intention to stand down.
Going into the meeting Mr Gormley said he had no regrets about leading his party into government with Fianna Fáil.
The party, which once employed 30 people, now has a staff of about a dozen and this is to be pared down further in coming months.
Decisions on the leadership will not be made until a national conference in May or June but although the issue will not be discussed today, the meeting is likely to shape internal thinking on future strategy.
Former minister Eamon Ryan said he would not rule himself out of making a leadership bid.