The Minister for Justice has this lunchtime accused Fine Gael and the Labour Party of hypocrisy over sentencing policy.
Speaking at a Progressive Democrats function in Dublin, Michael McDowell said the opposition parties had strongly opposed the introduction of mandatory sentences six years ago.
Since the murder in Dublin last weekend of Donna Cleary, Mr McDowell has faced severe criticism from the Opposition, who claim he has not done enough to crack down on gun crime.
Mr McDowell hit back today, claiming that the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, had been 'at the angry pills again' in the Dáil yesterday, and accused him of a 'naked attempt' to 'grandstand and score cheap political points'.
He said mandatory sentences for drug dealers had been opposed in 1998 by Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left, and said the Rainbow Coalition had cancelled the prison building programme, allowed garda numbers to fall, and supported a policy that led to 16% of sentenced prisoners being on the streets.
