In a direct move to end controversy over a possible merger with Fianna Fail, the Progressive Democrats' ruling general council has agreed unanimously that the party should remain independent and not seek to enter discussions on joining with any other political grouping.
A two-sentence resolution ruling out a merger was passed at a general council meeting on Saturday and a spokesman said yesterday the decision "unambiguously and clearly suggests the overwhelming majority want to stay independent and do not want to countenance a merger".
The resolution was put to the meeting after the party's Limerick councillor and former lord mayor of the city, Mr Dick Sadlier, suggested more than two weeks ago that a debate on a merger would be appropriate.
But former party leader, Mr Des O'Malley, quickly and publicly rejected Mr Sadlier's comments.
It was decided the extent of support for a merger within the party should be determined and the resolution, put at the start of Saturday's 90-strong meeting, showed no further backing for Mr Sadlier's approach.
It is understood the leadership believes the general council's decision has ended the dispute over a merger.
The ruling general council is made up of representatives from each constituency and all elected representatives.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, yesterday described as "off the wall" some recommendations in an internal document on crime by a party committee.
The spokesman also expressed disquiet over details of a general council meeting being leaked to a Sunday newspaper for the second time.
The spokesman said only the most controversial elements of the document on crime were leaked and published in yesterday's Sunday Tribune.
These included proposals that prisoners be held in solitary confinement and that criminals engaged in vandalism should be imprisoned with little contact with other human beings.
"Notwithstanding the effort put in by this committee and some very reasonable proposals about rehabilitation, some of the ideas such as solitary confinement are off the wall and have no place in a party which considers itself to be liberal," the party spokesman said.
The committee on crime is made up of grass-root members and, according to the spokesman, some of their recommendations on white-collar crime, detention, rehabilitation and treatment of prisoners were reasonable.
Their draconian views on solitary confinement, however, would be "unacceptable to senior people in the party and will not become party policy".
Expressing unease at the leak, the spokesman said the meeting was private. But someone had pointed out the more controversial aspects of the affair to a newspaper.
Last month, comments made by Ms Harney on the party's future in coalition with Fianna Fail were also leaked.
In that instance, Ms Harney was reported as saying the PDs might be forced to leave Government as a result of the tribunals.
Asked if any steps would be taken to determine who was behind the leaks, the spokesman said the party would not engage in a "witch-hunt". "We are disappointed that someone would seek to undermine the party by deliberately revealing what are internal party matters," he added.