‘Politicians live by a different set of rules when imprisoned’

POLITICIANS are given time to attend to business and not treated like normal inmates in prison, Liam Lawlor said yesterday.

The former Dublin West TD, who has served three terms in jail for failing to co-operate with the Flood Tribunal, said he supported the jailing of Socialist Party members Joe Higgins, TD, and Councillor Clare Daly.

“It’s very hard on a human level. Councillor Daly has a little three-year-old girl and it’s very hurtful for Joe Higgins’ 84-year-old mother. It is wrong, what has happened in principle, but it has to end that way.”

Mr Lawlor, facing another jail threat from the planning tribunal, told RTÉ’s Liveline he spent his time in jail reading, writing and preparing tribunal documents.

He was criticised by the Socialist Party for his comments about Joe Higgins.

“This is irony of ironies to hear Liam Lawlor saying this. Joe Higgins has spent his life fighting against people like him, but he’s the one in jail,” said spokesman Michael Murphy.

However, Liam Lawlor said he was proud of his rezoning policies, which had helped Tallaght in South Dublin to grow from a village of 700 people in the 1970s to an area with 100,000 people today.

“I was elected 20 years in the same constituency Joe Higgins failed several times to get elected in. I’m proud of what I achieved in Dublin West,” he added.