Des O'Malley - A Life in Politics is the title of a four-part, four-hour TV series RTE plans to transmit from tomorrow week. The programme, produced by Gerry Gregg and commissioned by Kevin Dawson, has been in the making for a year, with full co-operation from O'Malley, and is now in the finishing stages. It couldn't be more opportune for RTE in view of the recent controversy over O'Malley's involvement in the second Arms Trial crisis in 1970. The series includes interviews with leading politicians of the last 30 years, including Mary Harney, Michael McDowell, Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, David Andrews, Michael O'Kennedy, Seamus Brennan, Pat Cox, John Bruton, Michael Noonan and Ruairi Quinn. Three leaders refused to participate - Charlie Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern. As well as covering the formation of the PDs and what have been described as O'Malley's three great battles - with Haughey, Reynolds and Larry Goodman - the series deals with the Arms Crisis and last week's sensational developments. Gregg, formerly with RTE, won an Emmy last year for his Channel 4 documentary on Bosnia.