TOM PARLON was always an unlikely member of the Progressive Democrats.

The one-time farmers' leader actually toyed with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael before embarking on a political career with the PDs in early 2002. Fianna Fail was his first choice but the party's ticket in Laois-Offaly was full.

A slot in Tipperary North was on offer . . . Parlon was born in Roscrea . . . but he wanted to be close to his Offaly base.

His choice was, therefore, between Michael Noonan's Fine Gael or the PDs led by Mary Harney. While Fine Gael was the bigger party, the opinion polls indicated that, under Noonan, Fine Gael was actually a much bigger risk. Parlon ultimately opted for the PDs and the challenge of winning a seat in Laois-Offaly.

Paltry options And so, with Parlon on side . . .and with Michael McDowell back within the fold . . . Harney led the PDs to a notable electoral victory in the 2002 general election. The party doubled its Dail seats to eight and was returned to government in a coalition with Fianna Fail. Parlon's reward was a high-profile junior ministry at the Office of Public Works.

Looking back to those days in 2002, few . . . even the bleakest of pessimists . . . could have predicted that the five years later the PDs would be a party struggling for its political survival.

The 2007 general election cost the PDs six Dail seats, although the depleted and dejected party held on to a place in the Fianna FailGreen led coalition. More significantly, however, the election outcome led to the loss of Liz O'Donnell, McDowell and Parlon. The PDs were stripped of their top leadership tier. Harney remains, but she wants to concentrate on her job as health minister, and insists she does not want to step back into the party political role she vacated only last autumn.

Previous leadership changes in the PDs illustrate the paltry options now on offer. When Des O'Malley stood down, the choice was between Harney and Pat Cox, two political heavyweights.

In the wings at that time were McDowell, Bobby Molloy and Martin Cullen. Any of the latter three men would have made a credible national party leader.

Last autumn, when Harney bowed out as PD leader, the names on offer were McDowell, Parlon and O'Donnell. Again, any of the three could with credibility have stepped into the top PD job.

With the election night resignation of McDowell after eight months as PD leader, Parlon was the obvious candidate for the position. Many thought Parlon would become one of the two PD nominees to Seanad Eireann and then become the party's fourth leader in its 22-year history.

But Parlon . . . rejected by voters in Laois-Offaly in May . . . decided his career was outside politics. His exit to become the head of the Construction Industry Federation leaves the PDs in a hugely difficult position.

Focus on Harney

As they look for a leader, the PDs are faced with the realisation that, apart from Harney, they have no national names and no political heavyweights. Few observers . . . and fewer still in PD ranks . . . have confidence that any one of the group, including Tom Morrissey, Colm O'Gorman or Noel Grealish, could rebuild the party as leader.

Morrissey and O'Gorman are outgoing members of the Seanad. Both were beaten in the recent general election.

Grealish held the Dail seat he first won in 2002 but he has no ministerial experience and has established little national profile.

Morrissey is the only declared candidate. O'Gorman is interested. Grealish has remained silent but it is widely reported that he continues to have no interest in the leadership position. Fiona O'Malley's name has also been mentioned but the daughter of Des O'Malley will have to slog to rebuild her own political career after her general election defeat in Dun Laoghaire, rather than taking on the challenge of rebuilding the PDs.

The focus then returns to Harney, at least in the short term. She has said she will stay on as acting leader only.

But with no candidate available with enough political experience or national standing, Harney may be asked to hold the title of leader until the local and European elections in the summer of 2009.

"Look, if anyone thinks about the PDs and their leader, they will think about Mary Harney, " one senior PD figure said this weekend when discussing alternative leadership options.

New type of leadership

An internal party commission led by John Dardis is consulting on the way forward. A new leadership election system is needed, but the PDs may be about to consider a new type of political leadership.

Senior party sources speculated this weekend that, alongside Harney as parliamentary leader, the party may merge several existing positions to attract someone from outside to oversee the organisational and political change needed. The role of party president and national organiser could be amalgamated into a powerful position outside the Oireachtas.

The move would follow the example of parties elsewhere in Europe, where party leaders do not always sit in parliament, especially as they oversee organisational direction while in opposition.

While the prospect of the PDs advertising for a national leader remains slim, the party commission may recommend headhunting a figure from business who would be interested in entering the world of politics.

"We have to think outside the box, " one source said.

In a way, the PDs have been here before, when Pat Cox joined Des O'Malley's fledgling party in 1986 as general secretary. Cox, a former RTE journalist, worked on building the new party's organisational base. But he subsequently successfully contested the 1989 European elections and the 1992 general elections for the PDs.

Raising money

Money will play a role in whatever decision is ultimately made by the PD commission, which is due to report in early September.

Fewer first preference votes and fewer Oireachtas members mean the PDs will now get less from the pot of public money available for political parties. The party is already reducing its staff.

But the PDs still have several advantages when it comes to raising money . . .their role in government and their business constituency base.

"Our resources going forward will be limited but we won't be totally broke, " one PD figure said.

A collection of former PD candidates met in Portlaoise yesterday. While the wider political world speculates about the future of the party, insiders are attempting to kick-start the rebuilding process by talking about the European and local elections in 2009. The gathering of former candidates will most likely await the Dardis commission report before making any decisions about their respective futures.

The real worry for the PDs as a political party is that many of its local representatives . . . and even its two TDs . . . could jump ship for new political homes. Without the type of political and policy definition once provided by the likes of Des O'Malley, Mary Harney and Michael McDowell, many in the party might opt to pursue their political careers elsewhere.

Finding a leader is the PDs' most immediate task. Then the party will have to find a place on the political landscape.