Opposition accused of spreading ‘anti-Garda propaganda’
Justice Minister Michael McDowell has accused opposition parties of engaging in "negative, anti-Garda propaganda".
Mr McDowell was speaking after Fine Gael and the Labour Party both dismissed his announcement of €4m in extra funding for Garda overtime between now and the end of the year.
The minister said the money would be used to increase Garda presence on the roads and in areas where burglaries and public order offences are prevalent.
However, Fine Gael and Labour reacted to the move by saying it highlighted the minister's failure to properly budget for Garda overtime and the lack of a Garda presence in these areas during the rest of the year.
"That's typical of the opposition," Mr McDowell said today. "This is the kind of negative, anti-Garda propaganda that's all the time coming from the opposition.
"I'm getting a bit tired of constant questions in the Dáil about how much assault actions by gardaí costed [sic], all the time doubting the figures that the gardaí give for the reduction in crime."
