THERE WAS “no leadership” at Government level, former leader of the Progressive Democrats Senator Ciarán Cannon said yesterday as he announced his decision to join the main Opposition party.

The sitting Fine Gael TDs for Mr Cannon’s constituency of Galway East, Paul Connaughton and Ulick Burke, attended the press conference on the Leinster House plinth where the newest member of the Fine Gael parliamentary party was presented.

Party leader Enda Kenny said: “Fine Gael welcome him wholeheartedly and unreservedly . . . that welcome extends also from our two sitting TDs in Galway East.” Indicating that he saw his political future in Galway East, Mr Cannon said: “My decision to join Fine Gael is based primarily on what I know that Fine Gael can achieve for this country over the next number of years.

“It has been a very, very difficult decision for me. It’s one I’m happy with. It’s one that I feel best sets out for me my own future and the future of the people that I intend to serve in Galway East.”

Asked to comment on the performance of the Government which he formerly supported, Mr Cannon replied: “The Government’s major issue . . . is that it has not succeeded in inspiring people, in getting people to row in behind them in setting out to address the challenges that we face. So that is the major, major issue for me. There is no inspiration, there is no leadership and I think now is the time where we can find that leadership . . .”

He said Progressive Democrats TD Noel Grealish had stepped in as “interim leader” of the PDs. Rejecting out of hand any suggestion that he had been “thrown out” of a meeting of the PD executive last week, Mr Cannon said: “That’s nonsense, utter nonsense.”

He had informed his fellow executive members of his decision to join Fine Gael: “All of them were very, very happy with the decision I was making in the sense that they felt it was the best decision for me personally. A number of them expressed a preference that I would no longer remain at that national executive meeting and felt that it was inappropriate that I would do so.”

He said he remained to discuss some important issues such as the situation of PD staff and “once those issues were addressed I was quite happy to leave the meeting”.

Paying tribute to former PD colleague Minister for Health Mary Harney, he said: “I think every single politician . . . irrespective of their allegiances would argue that she is one of the politicians of her generation and I wish her all the best in the future.”

Asked to comment on Senator Cannon’s decision, Ms Harney said: “He’s a friend of mine. I wish things had turned out differently, but I wish him personally and politically the very best of luck.”