Sadlier accuses Harney of U-turn on merger talks with FF

The Limerick city councillor who resigned from the Progressive Democrats last week has accused former colleagues of telling "untruths" and "half-truths" to discredit him.

Mr Dick Sadlier also accused his former party leader, Ms Mary Harney, of making "totally conflicting statements within the space of a few days" on the issue of a party debate on merging with Fianna Fail.

Meanwhile, the PDs have played down the resignation of the party's national organiser, Mr Garvan McGinley, who has left to develop a hotel business in Mullingar. A party spokesman said Mr McGinley would remain a member and would continue to work on a voluntary basis, including fund-raising.

Mr Sadlier said yesterday it was "incredible" that Ms Harney had not been challenged on her change of position from Monday of last week - when she was reported by the Limerick Leader as saying that "there will be no debate and no discussion" on a merger - and Friday, when she said she would have no problem with a debate.

Compared with this, he said, there was "no inconsistency" in his own position now and during the Limerick East by-election, when he strongly opposed an electoral pact with Fianna Fail: "In the circumstances, it was clear that to have given number twos for Fianna Fail would have been as good as giving them number ones."

He also singled out as "blatant untruth" suggestions by former colleagues in Limerick that the party's poor performance in his city ward in the by-election had influenced his decision to quit. The PD share of the vote in the ward was 9.6 per cent - the highest in the city, he said. He added his failure to attend a meeting between Ms Harney and party councillors in Limerick last week was partly because it had coincided with the city council's last monthly meeting before the summer recess.

Responding to criticisms that he had never raised the idea of a merger in party meetings, he said the "speed and vehemence of the backlash" which greeted his comments to the Limerick Leader confirmed him in the belief that he was right not to attempt raising it in the party.

Mr Sadlier added he had not decided where his future lay. His purpose in going public on the issue was to "kickstart" a debate in the party on the possibility of a merger with Fianna Fail.