Helen Keogh, 'a defining moment in my political career'
Senator Helen Keogh, who sat on the Fine Gael Seanad frontbench for the first time today, and the leadership of the Progressive Democrats, have sharply criticised each other this morning. Speaking on RTÉ Radio, Senator Keogh, who left the PDs yesterday, said that she was surprised by the invective directed against her by her former colleagues in the Progressive Democrats. She said that Mary Harney was putting a lot of time into the work of Government at the expense of her party. PD Chairman, John Minahan, dismissed Senator Keogh's claim that it was the nomination of the former Supreme Court Judge, Hugh O'Flaherty to the European Investment Bank that led to her resignation from the party. Mr Minahan said that she had never raised the matter within the Progressive Democrats and that she was in negotiations with Fine Gael long before the O'Flaherty issue arose.
After arriving at the Seanad today, she was welcomed to the house by several opposition senators. The Deputy leader of the Seanad, Senator John Dardis of the PDs said that he regretted that Senator Keogh had left his party but he wished her well in Fine Gael. Senator Keogh defected from the PDs last night, after a brief meeting with the party leader, Mary Harney. In a statement, Senator Keogh said she had grown increasingly uneasy in recent times at the way in which the party was melting back into Fianna Fáil. As a founder member, she said that she had great hopes the party could forge a dramatic new direction for Irish politics. Some of this had been achieved, she said, but her overall feeling was one of disappointment. Senator Keogh said the recent decision to nominate Hugh O'Flaherty to the European investment bank, along with the Tánaiste's decision to accept it, had brought her to what she called this defining moment in her political career. Senator Keogh made clear she would not be resigning her Seanad seat.
The Progressive Democrat leader, Mary Harney, said that she was disappointed at Helen Keogh's decision. She also said that she believed that since Ms Keogh was one of the Government's nominees in the Seanad she should resign her seat there. Former PD leader, Des O'Malley also expressed his disappointment. He said that the only honourable course for her Keogh was to resign her seat in the Seanad.
