Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

That is a most worthy sentiment. The Minister for Foreign Affairs also made some other comments to the effect that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, was on a kind of electoral stunt regarding the anti-criminality campaign. I believe the phrase used was "electoralism". He more or less said that certain things get said in the run-in to an election, which was how the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, referred to the much publicised campaign of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, against Sinn Féin criminality in his interview with Frank Millar. Is the Minister for Defence, Deputy O'Dea, also involved in electoralism when he speaks?

Perhaps the Minister for Foreign Affairs has a more informed view as well as being committed to the high principles the Minister of State has just outlined. The Minister of State spoke about unity and everybody working together. Is the division between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Defence just one of those trivial differences that might be expected in the Cabinet or is it more substantive? Which of the Ministers are we to believe? Is the criticism of references to Sinn Féin criminality electoralism or is it the view of Government?

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