Mr Dick Sadlier, a founder member of the Progressive Democrats and the first PD chairman in Limerick East resigned unexpectedly from the party last night. A Limerick city councillor and former mayor, Mr Sadlier (47) said the main reason for his resignation was the refusal of the former leader, Mr Des O'Malley TD, to discuss a possible merger of the party with Fianna Fail following an appeal from Mr Sadlier last week that the two parties discuss a possible merger.
"I regard Des O'Malley's peremptory dismissal of my viewpoint that consideration be given to the possibility of a merger between the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fail as an act of unbridled arrogance," he said.
Mr Sadlier, who is a lecturer in Business Studies at the Limerick Institute of Technology, said his resignation was also due to the refusal to debate the treatment of MEP, Mr Pat Cox. "I simply asked for a reasoned and rational debate within a political party, but instead received an immediate and public rebuke", he said.