The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has repeated his controversial comments on asylum-seekers, saying that many are coming to Ireland with 'spurious stories'.
Mr McDowell said that many of the stories he heard from people seeking asylum were complete 'cock-and-bull'.
He said he would not apologise and that he was speaking ‘the straight, honest truth’. He said he would play straight into the hands of racists if he did not enforce the law on asylum.
Mr McDowell was speaking at a two-day conference in Dublin on community relations organised by the Dublin City Development Board and Dublin City Council.
Mr McDowell also defended his proposal to introduce anti-social behaviour orders, ASBOS, saying they were a fair idea and a good idea and would not criminalise anyone.
