Kenny hits out at 'hollow' threats to SF
The Government must back up its attacks on Sinn Féin’s links to the IRA and criminal activities, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said today.
Mr Kenny claimed Justice Minister Michael McDowell had had a lot to say on the matter, but was failing to support his words with action or prosecutions.
“Michael McDowell has reminded people on numerous occasions that he knows best, that he’s the one at the Department of Justice, that he is the one with the information. I would like to see him act on that,” Mr Kenny said.
A furious row broke out between Sinn Féin and the Government after Mr McDowell claimed the IRA were involved in criminality in the Dublin area, and that the republican party leadership were aware of this.
Mr Kenny said: “If Michael McDowell says he has clear evidence of this then I would like to see him provide the resources to the organs of state to deal with it.
“I think it should be clearly stated as well that for all his strong talk he is the person who has been negotiating with the Provisional IRA about the release of the killers of Jerry McCabe.”
Mr Kenny was speaking at the launch of Fine Gael’s young person’s manifesto in Dublin city centre ahead of the local and European elections on June 11.
Sinn Féin’s European election candidate Mary Lou McDonald was on walkabout with party colleagues and greeted Fine Gael election hopefuls as they launched their campaign.
Mr Kenny told the Sinn Féin entourage his party would fight the elections until the close of polls.
He said: “We have the best candidates in the European elections and I think the people out there know that, as the underlying trends in the opinion polls show.”
The Fine Gael leader called on the Government to make better use of the Criminal Assets Bureau and said the public wanted to see the rule of law returned to the streets and the elimination of criminality.
The opposition party claimed it has the fastest growing youth wing of any political party in Ireland with 69 candidates under the age of 30 standing in the local elections.
The party already boasts the youngest TD, 26-year-old Damian English and the youngest Senator, John-Paul Phelan, 26.
Campaigners hope they can add to this tally with local election candidate 20-year-old Sally Ann Flanagan standing in Tuam, Co. Galway.
Mr Kenny said: “We understand the issues facing younger people and have policies that can make a real difference to their lives.
“We are launching this manifesto today to demonstrate how our policies are in tune with the issues facing younger people and offer practical solutions and real benefits to those hit hardest by this Government’s failures.”
