Dublin accountant Paul MacKay has been reappointed as a trustee of the Progressive Democrats by the new party leader, Michael McDowell. Mr MacKay was one of the key founders of the party in 1985 and has been a trustee from the beginning.
He caused controversy within the party last Sunday by giving a frank interview to RTÉ's This Week programme during which he revealed there was frustration among senior people at Mary Harney's changes of mind over whether she would stay on as leader. He also accused some party figures of having "blackguarded" Mr McDowell.
Mr MacKay was adamant that Ms Harney had, on three occasions, given assurances that she would quit but had changed her mind on all of them.
"That caused frustrations within the hierarchy of the party. And I think she was badly advised in June when she decided to continue on," said Mr MacKay.
"Michael McDowell, unfortunately, was blackguarded by a small number of people within the party, blackguarded. In fairness to him, he kept silent. Others went out to damage him and did damage him. Fortunately, now it is well known what the real situation was and he is vindicated in my mind," he added.
Mr MacKay's intervention caused anger among some of those close to Ms Harney and there was speculation that he might not be reappointed as a trustee, but that was never likely to happen, given his seniority in the party and the respect in which he is held.
Under the terms of the PD constitution the party leader appoints the trustees and yesterday Mr McDowell reappointed Mr MacKay and the other two outgoing trustees, party official Noirin Slattery and accountant Brendan Malone.
In his RTÉ interview Mr MacKay said Ms Harney had made the right decision to step down, saying the party has been drifting for the last while and needed a change.
"It needs somebody with a bit of hunger, ability and energy. The man in pole position at the moment, Michael McDowell, has all of these things," he said.
Mr MacKay rejected a charge that he was glad Ms Harney was quitting: "No, I am not. I was there with her from the very start. She herself intimated a couple of years ago that she was going to bow out before the next general election. She was going to do that in November before the 20th celebrations."
