The two new political movements planned by Lucinda Creighton and Shane Ross are fighting for survival this weekend before they are even launched.

As speculation mounts that the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, may spring a surprise election this summer, the ambitions of Ms Creighton and Mr Ross have been dealt serious blows.

Progressive Democrats founder Des O'Malley has warned Ms Creighton about the difficulties she faces and said he is not "optimistic" she will succeed in launching a new political force.

In a significant declaration, Mr O'Malley also told the Sunday Independent he was "surprised she was not better prepared."

Separately, in a setback to the proposed Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice alliance, former Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten has followed Independent TD Stephen Donnelly by ruling himself out as a member: "I'm remaining as an Independent," Mr Naughten told the Sunday Independent.

But as the new dawn starts to fade on Ms Creighton and Mr Ross, the man they both courted, Stephen Donnelly, has revealed his intention to establish his own political movement.

In a plan which would further fracture support for the Independents, Mr Donnelly told this newspaper he hopes to set up a "movement based on progressive social democratic principles."

However, Mr O'Malley said: "I can well understand why people would want to vote for Independents. The credibility of the established parties is so damaged.

"But it is a luxury between elections that cannot be afforded when it actually comes to voting. In Government, each piece of legislation cannot be subject to that process."

This weekend it also emerged that the broadcaster Eamon Dunphy has held meetings with Ms Creighton and Mr Ross, who hopes to set up an alliance of Independent TDs.

Yesterday Mr Dunphy told the Sunday Independent: "If there was something to join I'd join it, but I don't see anything at the moment with meat on the bones."

He confirmed, however, that neither Ms Creighton nor Mr Ross has asked him to be a candidate in the General Election.

Last week Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney announced Fine Gael's election campaign plan was ready and a manifesto will be complete by summer.

Yesterday Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin claimed Fine Gael was plotting to spring a surprise election on coalition partners Labour.

He said: "Fianna Fail are preparing for an end of May or early summer election.'' His claim was dismissed by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald who said the Government would go full-term.

The Sunday Independent has separately learned that Fianna Fail intends to back former minister Mary Hanafin ahead of new councillor Kate Feeney as General Election candidate in Dun Laoghaire - a decision which will reignite a row which dominated the local elections last year.

As the countdown to the election gets underway, Labour leader, Joan Burton, meanwhile, has told her candidates to "develop a distinctive identity from Fine Gael".

But it is the prospective leaders of the proposed new movements which have been dealt the most serious blows this weekend.

The announcement by Mr Naughten that he will not join the proposed Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice alliance is bound to influence other suggested members.

Waterford Independent TD John Halligan yesterday said that while he was interested in joining the proposed alliance it "might never happen".

Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy, who was also approached by Mr Ross, has also said she will not be joining because she believes the alliance will get it difficult to find consensus on economic issues.

Wicklow Independent TD, Mr Donnelly, meanwhile, said a new approach was needed to combine several aspects of social democracy: access to public services such as health, an emphasise on enterprise to pay for it and a recognition of the value of community.

"The Labour Party might say they are Social Democrats, but just having it on their website doesn't make it so. The important word is 'progressive'. Their actions speak louder than their words. The have participated in four regressive budgets in a row," he said.

Last night, Mr Ross said: "I don't know if Denis was ever intending to be a member and I have never spoken to him about it. His announcement is totally consistent with his position that he would stand alone and I wish him luck."

But the view of Mr O'Malley, the founder leader of the PDs, which he set up in 1985, will be seen as the most significant development.

A Red C opinion poll last week showed Ms Creighton's proposed new party with just 1pc support, which could rise to 6pc when she reveals the party's policies in March.

Mr O'Malley told the Sunday Independent: "She would have been better off, when she announced she was starting a new party, by appearing to be more fully prepared.

"I'm surprised she wasn't better prepared. I wish her well. I would not be very optimistic about the way it has started. She needs to get her forces together better."

Yesterday Ms Creighton said that while he had great respect for Mr O'Malley she would not be "playing by the rules as set down by the political establishment."

She said: "The mood in 1985 is very different from the mood in 2015. We are doing something very different from what he did."

Ms Creighton also said her meeting with Eamon Dunphy at his home was part of a series of meetings she was holding with "opinion formers" before the formal launch of her new party.

Mr Dunphy, meanwhile, was yesterday more concerned to be informed that news of his meeting with Ms Creighton had been leaked.

But he told the Sunday Independent that while he had "great respect" for Ms Creighton and his friend, Shane Ross, did not see "meat on the bones" of their plans "at the moment".

He also said he would not be a candidate for Sinn Fein, which he has praised in the recent past, because he "wouldn't agree with any of their policies" aside from the peace process.

The apparent difficulties faced by Ms Creighton and Mr Ross will come as welcome news to the establishment parties, particularly Fine Gael.

This newspaper has learned that the main Government party has devised a wait-and-see approach before it launches a strategy to challenge the new political movements head on.

Senior Fine Gael figures claim to have research which indicates the public have regard for Independent TDs as individuals, but do not regard them to be credible as part of a group.

Any attempt by Fine Gael to move the election date forward would seriously imperil Fine Gael's relations with Labour.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said: "We need a period of ongoing political stability and economic certainty to build on the recovery… Enda Kenny has said he will see out his full term and in my experience he is a man of his word."

Sunday Independent