THE PROGRESSIVE Democrats have suffered their third serious defection since last year's election.
A party spokesman confirmed that Councillor Eddie Fitzpatrick of Offaly County Council is no longer a member of the party and will now operate as an independent. Mr Fitzpatrick is the third councillor to leave the party since the party's disappointing performance in the 2007 general election, which cast doubts over its survival.
Councillor Mary-Mitchell O'Connor, the party's only representative on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, defected to Fine Gael in December while Mags Murray, a member of Fingal County Council, resigned in February to join Fianna Fáil.
The decision by Mr Fitzpatrick is an acute blow, as it occurred only a week after Senator Ciarán Cannon was elected as the new PD leader. Mr Cannon said his focus would be on working with the party's elected local representatives.
Mr Fitzpatrick, a tillage and suckler farmer near Portarlington, is abroad and was not available for comment last night.
The PDs' spokesman said that Mr Fitzpatrick had cited a drop in support for the party in Laois-Offaly. His resignation leaves a single PD councillor on Offaly council, Fergus McDonnell, and 17 full councillors in the State.
