Progressive Democrats

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Progressive Democrats
Image:Pdlogo.png
Leader Michael McDowell
Founded 1985
Headquarters 25 South Frederick Street,
Dublin 2
Political Ideology Liberalism , Market liberalism , Neoliberalism
International Affiliation Liberal International
European Affiliation European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Parliament Group n/a
Colours Dark Blue
Website http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/

See also:
Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Political parties in the Republic of Ireland
Elections in Ireland

The Progressive Democrats (in Irish An Páirtí Daonlathach, literal back-translation: The Democratic Party) is a free market liberal party in the Republic of Ireland founded in 1985. It adopts liberal positions on both economic issues and social or moral matters. It is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), which is a constituent part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). It polled 4% at the last two general elections. Nevertheless the PDs have had a significant influence on Irish public policy in recent years. By entering into coalition governments, the PDs have had a rather disproportionate impact on government policy to their own size.

Contents

[edit] Policies

The Progressive Democrats' economic policies are based on liberal economics. They support a free enterprise, low tax and pro-competition policy base.

The Progressive Democrats consider privatisation on a case by case basis, favouring the privatisation of state-owned airline Aer Lingus, while opposing their coalition partner’s plans to privatise airports company Aer Rianta, on the grounds the only thing worse than a public monopoly is a private monopoly. They succeeded in preventing the company from being privatised, and broke it up into competing companies instead.

The party has been a strong supporter of low taxation. As the ESRI stated in 2002: 'On balance, budgets over the past 10 to 20 years have been more favourable to high income groups than low income groups, but particularly so during periods of high growth.[1]

The current Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell was quoted as saying in 2004: "A dynamic liberal economy like ours demands flexibility and inequality in some respects to function." They support low corporation tax because they believe it encourages business growth and allows for enterprise to be rewarded. The party has often claimed these policies are in part responsible for the "Celtic Tiger" economy. Dermot McAleese, emeritus professor of economics at Trinity College, Dublin, says that the emergence of the Progressive Democrats in 1985 may have had a more positive influence on the economy than some recognise. He argues the low-tax, pro-business economy we know today is based in large part on Progressive Democrat policies. "They proved that there was a constituency for this, and they gave the intellectual power to it." (The Irish Times, 31 December 2004).

The party is often described as right wing by supporters and critics alike, but they have several policies which are liberal, or even left wing:

  • They have been strong supporters of overseas development aid. Liz O’Donnell of the Progressive Democrats, then Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs, threathened to resign if aid wasn’t increased. As a result, it was doubled.
  • The former PD leader, Mary Harney, introduced Ireland's first minimum wage in 2000 while she was Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. At the time, it was the highest minimum wage in the EU [citation needed].
  • They support the social partnership agreements on taxation, wages and conditions negotiated between unions, government and employers.
  • Their election programmes have included the intention to significantly increase welfare spending in key areas, including children's allowance, unemployment benefit and old age pensions[1].
  • They support free university education.

Currently PD ministers control both the Department of Health and the Department of Justice, and are pursuing the following initiatives:

  • Restricting Immigration from non-EU States
  • Expanding healthcare coverage
  • Expanding private sector influence on the health service
  • Reform and regulation of the private security industry
  • Expanding police powers
  • Creation of a Police Ombudsman
  • Personal Injury Reform

Party leaders reject the idea that they are ruled by ideology alone. Party president Michael McDowell has said that he sees liberalism as not being on the left-right spectrum as it is a mix of the ideals of both. Mary Harney, on becoming health minister said "I don't get my politics from any ideology, I get it from my experience and common sense".

[edit] History

The party was founded in 1985 by Desmond O'Malley, a former senior minister in Fianna Fáil governments under Jack Lynch and Charles J. Haughey.

O'Malley was a strong opponent of Haughey and was involved in a number of leadership heaves against Haughey, who was popular and controversial in equal measure. He was finally expelled from Fianna Fáil for conduct unbecoming a member when he refused to support Fianna Fáil's opposition to the introduction of contraception.

O'Malley joined with Fianna Fáil members Mary Harney, Bobby Molloy and Pearse Wyse, Fine Gael TD Michael Keating and former Fine Gael activist Michael McDowell, to set up the new party. The breakaways were dissatisfied with the policies of existing parties, which they viewed as being insufficiently liberal (both economically and on social issues such as divorce and contraception).

In the 1987 general election the new party won 14 seats and 11.9% of the vote, becoming the third largest party in the Dáil.

In 1989 they formed a coalition government with Fianna Fáil, with Charles Haughey as Taoiseach. Haughey was replaced in February 1992 by Albert Reynolds.

After the collapse of Reynolds' first administration later in 1992, O'Malley retired from the leadership of the party. Mary Harney became the new leader and the first woman to lead any of the major Irish political parties. Harney served as Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) from May 1997 until September 2006, when she resigned as party leader.

In the 2002 general election, the party defied expectations by doubling its Dáil seats to eight, although its share of the vote declined slightly to 4%. It is believed that they attracted the votes of many Fine Gael voters who were afraid of a Fianna Fáil majority and believed that Fine Gael's economic policy in the election was reckless. [citation needed]

Both Progressive Democrats and other commentators have suggested that the party has had a greater influence on government policy since 1997 than might be expected from its size. This belief appears to have some basis – as of September 2004, the party controlled two of the most important cabinet positions (Justice and Health) despite having less than one-tenth of the seats of its coalition partner Fianna Fáil.

In a widely reported speech [2] in 2000, the former party leader, Mary Harney, was perceived to express the desire that Ireland become "closer to Boston than Berlin", adopting US free market models for economic development, health, education, and other services rather than European social democratic models because she believed that the social democratic countries, while having more equality had bad economies and high unemployment. She said that the economic growth did not come at the cost of society: '".....And did we have to pay some very high price for pursuing this policy option? Did we have to dismantle the welfare state? Did we have to abandon the concept of social inclusion? The answer is no: we didn't".' Elizabeth Cullen of NUI Maynooth, a committee member of the Irish Doctors' Environmental Association, has on the other hand countered this assertion by stating: "The evidence assembled suggests that Ireland in fact has paid, is paying and will continue to pay a very high price for adopting American ways and moving closer to Boston." [3]

In total the Progressive Democrats have participated in coalition governments three times, all with Fianna Fáil (1989-1992; 1997-2002; 2002 to date).

On 7 September 2006 Mary Harney announced that she was stepping down as leader of the Progressive Democrats. She expressed a wish to stay on as Minister for Health.[2]

On 10 September 2006, Michael McDowell was elected unopposed as Party Leader, having been nominated by Tom Parlon and that nomination being seconded by Liz O'Donnell.[3]. Liz O'Donnell became Deputy Leader and Tom Parlon became Party President.

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Leader

[edit] Deputy Leader

[edit] President

[edit] Progressive Democrats TDs

[edit] Progressive Democrats Senators

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ 'The distributive impact of budgetary policy: A medium term view' Tim Callan, Mary Keeney, John Walsh, ESRI Dublin, 2002.
  2. ^ Harney steps down as leader of PDs — RTÉ News article, 7 September 2006
  3. ^ http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/press_room/2029/

[edit] See also


Political Parties in the Republic of Ireland
Represented in Dáil Éireann:

Fianna Fáil (80) | Fine Gael (32) | Labour Party (22) | Progressive Democrats (8) | Green Party (6) | Sinn Féin (5) | Socialist Party (1)
Represented in Seanad Éireann:

Fianna Fáil (29) | Fine Gael (15) | Labour Party (5) | Progressive Democrats (5)
Represented in the European Parliament:

Fine Gael (5) | Fianna Fáil (4) | Labour Party (1) | Sinn Féin (1 †)
Minor parties:

Workers Party | Socialist Workers Party | Communist Party of Ireland | Christian Solidarity Party | Republican Sinn Féin
† Sinn Féin holds a second European seat in Northern Ireland

[edit] External link

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