Sinn Féin won't beat me, says McDowell
Justice Minister Micheal McDowell today dismissed personal attacks on him by Sinn Féin as “battle fatigue” and said they would fail miserably.
He said comments by Martin McGuinness had not isolated him in any sense.
McGuinness said McDowell’s remarks that the Government was an honest broker in the peace process negotiations were absolute rubbish.
But speaking today, Mr McDowell said his position was exactly the same as that of Bertie Ahern and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen.
He added: “If it is an attempt to isolate me, it is going to fail miserably. I put it down to just crankiness and a bit of battle fatigue and desire to lash out against somebody. But it is not going to work.
“My skin is a bit thicker than some might assume and I have broad shoulders. I can take a fair bit of heat.”
Mr McDowell said that in three or four weeks it would become clear that the remarks were “lacking in content and analysis“.
Last week, he was attacked by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams on the same issue. He dismissed the comments as the “product of tiredness“.
The dispute came as a result of the postponement of the Northern Ireland assembly elections, which had been due to take place at the end of May.
Mr McDowell said that over the weekend the two Governments had been working out which parts of the Joint Declaration could be implemented regardless of the current impasse.
“This is a bit like an arch,” he added. “You have to bring out both sides and you have to put in place the keystone.”
Tony Blair is due to visit Dublin to meet Mr Ahern tomorrow.
