THE Progressive Democrats (PDs) leader Ciaran Cannon has called upon TD Noel Grealish to quash speculation that he may defect to Fianna Fail.

Grealish is one of just two TDs in the party.

Cannon has also downsized the make-or-break target he set for the PDs of winning 35 to 40 seats in next June’s local elections. He agreed that this figure may not be possible after at least five sitting PD councillors left the party following its poor performance in last year’s general election.

Ahead of the PD parliamentary party and national executive meeting in Dublin this week, Cannon said the “uncertainty” over Grealish’s future needed to be dispelled.

“Noel has said nothing to me that would suggest he wants to leave the party. There has, however, been a lot of speculation about his position and it is my hope that this would come to an end soon as it’s interfering with preparations for the local elections,” Cannon said.

“Noel is in a position to clarify his membership of the PDs and it would be helpful if he made a clear statement to this effect.”

Cannon said the party’s councillors “need to know that the four members of the parliamentary party”, Grealish, Mary Harney, the health minister, Senator Fiona O’Malley and himself, were “full square behind them”. He will meet Grealish this week and expects a “positive response” from the Galway West TD.

“At the time of the leadership contest, Noel gave Fiona and me a commitment that he was staying. This was one of the key influences on both of our decisions to go for the position. I have no reason to believe he will not honour this,” Cannon said.

Grealish did not return calls last week. It was reported recently the TD was seeking a meeting with Cannon to discuss his future and was still talking to Fianna Fail.

Were Grealish to leave the PDs, Harney would be the party’s only sitting TD, and its fate would be sealed.

When Cannon was elected leader in April, he said next year’s local elections would be the “litmus test” in deciding whether the PDs could survive. “I’ll be frank and honest in saying to you that if the numbers aren’t increased, we will have to take serious stock of what the future may hold for us,” he said.

The party then had 28 councillors, following the defection of Mary Mitchell O’Connor in Dun Laoghaire to Fine Gael and Mags Murray, a Fingal councillor, to Fianna Fail. Further losses include Eddie Fitzpatrick from Offaly, who has become an independent; Richie Molloy, a town councillor in Clonmel who went to Fianna Fail; and Leonard Hatrick, a town councillor in Ardee in Louth, who joined the Labour party.

Cannon said: “Even though we are still hoping to make gains it doesn’t look possible to achieve the 35 to 40 seats as stated.”

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