The Minister for Justice has defended his record on crime and dismissed Fine Gael figures released today as 'grossly misleading' and 'rubbish'.
The official figures, which are from the Department of Justice, show that the number of gardaí in Dublin increased by just two during 2005.
Michael McDowell was annoyed at the figures, which also claim that crime detection rates have fallen and that two thirds of criminals are getting away with criminal activity.
Minister McDowell accused the Opposition of manipulating public opinion in a disgraceful way and selecting particular figures to prove a falsehood.
He said the number of gardaí had increased by far more than two last year, and that there are now 3,794 gardaí serving in Dublin, 278 more than in June 2002.
He also rejected claims that detection rates had fallen, insisting that the rates in Ireland are very high, although he did accept that there was a problem with burglaries.
Fine Gael's claims were supported by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, who said, according to data compiled by him, that garda numbers were down in parts of Dublin for last year.
Mr Rabbitte said Minister McDowell's 'intolerant tantrum' today could not conceal the fact that he was unable to dispute the claim that the Greater Dublin area got only two extra gardaí in 2005.
