Crime and the North focus of Ahern Ard Fheis call

Law and order and the North were the central themes in the Taoiseach's Ard Fheis address to Fianna Fail delegates last night.

Rallying party supporters at the City West Hotel in north Dublin, Bertie Ahern said if returned to power, he will oversee a nationwide crackdown on drug and alcohol abuse.

"Fianna Fail will provide for the compulsory drug testing of prisoners, drug dealers will be required to register with gardai after leaving prison and pubs and off-licences who sell alcohol to underage drinkers will continue to be prosecuted and closed down," he said.

The Taoiseach also criticised Sinn Fein, saying they need to offer more to the peace process.

He said: "The politics of confrontation, the politics of street protests, the politics of non co-operation with the new police service in the North, the politics of slow progress in putting arms beyond use, is the kind of politics that places the future stability of the [Good Friday] Agreement and the cross community consent needed to sustain it is under some continuing strain."