McDowell re-ignites garda figures row

THE bitter row between Michael McDowell and Fine Gael over garda figures re-ignited last night after the Justice Minister sent a letter to all 220 TDs and Sentators standing over his figures.

Fine Gael last night reacted furiously to the letter, saying the minister's "colossal ego" had driven him to argue his case again a day after apologising to Richard Bruton for comparing him to Joseph Goebbels.

In the letter, Mr McDowell states that Mr Bruton's claim of only two extra gardaí being assigned to the Dublin area in one year was based on a misconception.

"This was based on a failure to take into account a substantial draft of Dublin-based gardaí into the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations to participate in Operation Anvil, activities which were exclusively focused in the Dublin area.

"Deputy Bruton has since explained in the Dáil that he was unaware of that fact when he issued his statement," he said.

However, the Fine Gael spokesman last night said it stretched credulity to see Mr McDowell persisting with his argument after backing down the previous day.

"The minister's colossal ego has blinded him to the fact that he is in a hole and should stop digging."

The spokesman pointed out that the information supplied to Mr Bruton on garda numbers was based on a parliamentary replies from the minister's own office.

"Any omissions from the information provided is the responsibility of the minister and he should accept that responsibility rather than attempt to reopen an argument that he has already lost," he said.

In the letter, Mr McDowell asserted that as of this week, there were 116 more gardaí in Dublin garda stations than at this time one year ago.

And in what may be perceived as renewed criticism of the Fine Gael TD, he said his reliance on a response to a "narrow technical question produced an extremely misleading impression".

It was the second time in the course of one day that Mr McDowell was accused of distancing himself from his own apology. Earlier, Green Party TD John Gormley complained that Mr McDowell had repeated a "slur" he made on the party on RTÉ's Prime Time, despite withdrawing the comment in the Dáil.

Mr McDowell had suggested that Green Party sympathisers may have been among the mob that attacked the Progressive Democrats headquarters during the Dublin riots a few weeks ago.