| FORMER Tanaiste Dick Spring has accused
Sinn Fein of being associated with the drugs trade in the North and said
their support for vigilantism in the Republic was hypocritical.
|
| "I find it very hard to take the Sinn Fein line on drugs. They're up to
their necks in peddling drugs in other parts of the island and on the
other hand they're pretending they're going to save the country from
drugs," he said. "Beating guys up and breaking their legs isn't going to
stop the drugs problem. You might deter one or two minor dealers from
time to time. But at the end of the day that is not a solution - it's a
matter for the gardai and the local community." |
| The allegations have been rejected out of hand by Sinn Fein. Its
publicity director, Dawn Doyle, said they were part of a pattern of
vilification involving all the main parties. |
| But the Kerry North TD said he was extremely concerned about the drug
problem and its impact on his local community, though he insisted it was a
complex issue demanding a wide-ranging response. Mr Spring also said
there had to be a rethink about extended bar opening hours, which he said
were linked to an upsurge in violent street crime and vandalism. |
|
The former Labour leader's comments follow similar scathing remarks about
Sinn Fein by Tanaiste Mary Harney at the Progressive Democrat conference
at the weekend. |
|
She warned against balaclava economics and said killing a garda was not
political activity. |
| But Ms Harney dropped another Sinn Fein reference in the script of her
keynote address on Saturday, which warned against a party proceeding with
a ballot paper in one hand and a baseball bat in the other. |
| It is understood she felt she risked giving too much emphasis to the
issue. |
| Sinn Fein's Ms Doyle said
all the main parties had tried the same smear tactics, especially since
the start of the year. |
| She cited comments by Justice Minister John O'Donoghue, Fine Gael leader
Michael Noonan and earlier remarks by Mr Spring, as well as Ms Harney's
criticisms at her party conference. |
|
"All of these remarks are either totally incorrect or based on vague
innuendoes. We are concerned about these statements but, ultimately, they
say more about the other parties and their fear of Sinn Fein's appeal to
voters," she said. |
|
Ms Doyle said this form of discourse was damaging for the political
process and Sinn Fein would not engage in it.
|
| Author: John Downing, Political Editor |
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland) |
Pubdate: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 |
