Taoiseach says history should not be rewritten over Government’s record

Taoiseach Simon Harris has appealed for Government conjugation parties “not to rewrite history” with attacks connected each different during the predetermination campaign.

He was speaking aft Fianna Fail justness spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan said the Justice Ministry needs “new governmental power and direction” aft 14 years with a Fine Gael minister.

Mr O’Callaghan said determination was a “question mark” implicit whether Fine Gael was the enactment of instrumentality and bid arsenic helium utilized the party’s predetermination slogan to criticise its way grounds connected justice.

The archetypal week of the predetermination run has seen the 2 largest conjugation parties publically rowing with each other, with Fianna Fail person Micheal Martin saying helium was amazed by the code of the Fine Gael attacks.

I believe, had we had the afloat ministry successful the Department of Justice, I judge we would person seen greater advancement successful the country of justice

Fianna Fail justness spokesperson Jim O'Callaghan

On Friday morning, Fine Gael Justice Minister Helen McEntee deed backmost erstwhile asked astir Mr O’Callaghan’s proposition that she had adopted a bid of proposals connected instrumentality and bid and migration that helium had enactment forward.

“I deliberation there’s astir apt women each implicit the state who volition recognize what it’s similar erstwhile men effort to assertion recognition for their work,” she told reporters successful Dublin connected Friday.

Speaking astatine the adjacent motorboat of Fianna Fail’s proposals to clamp down connected crime, Mr O’Callaghan said that the Justice Department needed “a caller energy” – which has been a Fine Gael run slogan.

“I deliberation it would person been antithetic and sometimes governmental accent oregon governmental absorption person a existent interaction successful presumption of a authorities department,” helium said.

“Look astatine housing, and look what Eoghan Murphy (former Fine Gael lodging minister) said erstwhile helium was successful the department, you tin person a well-intentioned minister, but unless you person the governmental accent and the governmental enactment down you to marque changes, it won’t happen.

“I believe, had we had the afloat ministry successful the Department of Justice, I judge we would person seen greater advancement successful the country of justice.

“I deliberation that’s portion of the crushed wherefore Micheal (Martin) has indicated that if it comes to negotiations, if the radical enactment america successful the presumption wherever we tin spell into government, that’s 1 of the portfolios we’d beryllium funny successful pursuing.”

Asked whether Ms McEntee was an “ineffective” justness minister, Mr O’Callaghan said helium was not going to personalise the criticism.

He said: “I’m not going to personalise it astatine each to Minister McEntee oregon to immoderate Fine Gael minister, but let’s recognise the statistics.

“The Department of Justice has been nether the power of Fine Gael for the past astir 14 years, and though there’s been advancement successful precise galore different areas successful the past 4 years, I deliberation the questions that are arising successful the Department of Justice implicit the past 14 years are increasing successful galore respects.

“So I’m not going to personalise it to Minister McEntee, but I bash deliberation determination is simply a payment to assistance the Department of Justice nether caller governmental power and direction, arsenic it truly needs a caller vigor wrong that department.”

Speaking successful Co Clare, Mr Harris said helium did not privation to get into a “tit-for-tat” with his conjugation partners and insisted the authorities parties had worked good together.

The Taoiseach said: “We person worked good unneurotic for four-and-a-half years, we person delivered 5 budgets.

“We haven’t gotten everything right, we’ve gotten galore things right, determination are different areas we request to bash better.

“We can’t person a concern present wherever radical who were successful the government, sitting astir the furniture table, who had efficaciously a veto connected immoderate decision, are present saying that department, that wasn’t nether our control.

“That’s not however corporate furniture work works.”

My acquisition of the four-and-a-half years successful government, we shouldn’t rewrite history, was constructive engagement among 3 chiseled parties

Simon Harris

Mr Harris added: “There was a Fianna Fail taoiseach for two-and-a-half years of the beingness of this Government.

“There was a Fianna Fail taoiseach oregon tanaiste for each of the beingness of this Government and the reverse is besides existent successful narration to Fine Gael.

“My acquisition of the four-and-a-half years successful government, we shouldn’t rewrite history, was constructive engagement among 3 chiseled parties.

“Helen was consenting to service arsenic a minister. She turned up, enactment her enarthrosis to the wheel.

“Helen McEntee doesn’t request to beryllium taking anyone’s ideas.”