Justice needs ‘new energy’ after 14 years under Fine Gael, says Jim O’Callaghan
The Fianna Fail politician and barrister said there was a ‘question mark’ over whether Fine Gael was the party of law and order.
The justice ministry needs “new energy” after 14 years with a Fine Gael minister at its helm, Jim O’Callaghan has said.
The Fianna Fail justice spokesman said that there was a “question mark” over whether Fine Gael was the party of law and order.
The two coalition parties have been publicly criticising each other’s policies since the General Election campaign began, prompting public rows over their policy proposals.
Fine Gael Justice Minister Helen McEntee hit back when asked about Mr O’Callaghan’s suggestion that she had adopted a series of proposals on law and order and immigration that he had put forward.
“I think there’s probably women all over the country who will understand what it’s like when men try to claim credit for their work,” she told reporters in Dublin on Friday.
Speaking at the nearby launch of Fianna Fail’s proposals to clamp down on crime, Mr O’Callaghan said that the Justice Department needed “a new energy” – which has been a campaign slogan of Fine Gael.
“I think it would have been different and sometimes political emphasis or political direction have a real impact in terms of a government department,” he said.
“Look at housing, and look what Eoghan Murphy said when he was in the department, you can have a well-intentioned minister, but unless you have the political emphasis and the political support behind you to make changes, it won’t happen.
“I believe, had we had the full ministry in the Department of Justice, I believe we would have seen greater progress in the area of justice.
“I think that’s part of the reason why Micheal (Martin) has indicated that if it comes to negotiations, if the people put us in the position where we can go into government, that’s one of the portfolios we’d be interested in pursuing.”
Asked whether Ms McEntee was an “ineffective” justice minister, Mr O’Callaghan said he was not going to personalise the criticism.
“I’m not going to personalise it at all to minister McEntee or to any Fine Gael minister, but let’s recognise the statistics.
“The Department of Justice has been under the control of Fine Gael for the past nearly 14 years, and although there’s been progress in very many other areas in the past four years, I think the questions that are arising in the Department of Justice over the past 14 years are growing in many respects.
“So I’m not going to personalise it to minister McEntee, but I do think there is a benefit to help the Department of Justice under new political control and direction, as it really needs a new energy within that department.”
Asked whether they were stealing Fine Gael’s title as the party of law an order, he said there was “a question mark” over whether Fine Gael “were traditionally the party of law and order”.
“Certainly this century, I think there’s a question mark over that,” he said.
