MICHEÁL MARTIN has said he doesn’t agree with comments from TD Willie O’Dea who said Helen McEntee was the “worst Minister for Justice in the history of the State”.
However, speaking to reporters in Dublin today, the Tánaiste defended Fianna Fáil TDs who have criticised the minister in recent days, stating that several comments had been “completely misinterpreted”.
In a social media post over the weekend, O’Dea, said that he believed Fianna Fáil needed to take over the justice ministry.
“Neighbourhoods have literally gone to hell with anti-social behaviour,” the veteran TD claimed, adding that the minister spent too much time on “woke issues” rather than protecting citizens.
Martin said: “I don’t agree with his statement and what he said.”
When asked whether ‘woke’ issues O’Dea is describing would include the likes of legislation to combat violence against women and banning the sharing of intimate images, Martin said had been a strong supporter of that legislation from the beginning.
Last week, McEntee said that “women all over the country know what it’s like when men try to take credit for your work” following comments from Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan.
He said that most of the proposals introduced by her had been suggested by him.
O’Callaghan said today:
“I would make the same point had Charlie Flanagan being the Minister for Justice. I don’t think I should be precluded from making those points just because the minister is a female.”
Aside from O’Callaghan and O’Dea, Fine Gael sources have highlighted that Junior Justice Minister James Browne said on Newstalk Breakfast on Friday that he had done “50% of the legislation” and that Taoiseach Simon Harris and Heather Humphreys had both done six months stints in McEntee’s department.
Addressing the matter, Martin said:
“James Browne has been completely misinterpreted here. Our position on justice is a policy based one, not personal, because we’ve worked with Helen McEntee and it shouldn’t be personal.
“The big departure we’ve proposed is a new department of domestic affairs, which will embrace the totality of migration issues, border control, national security, intelligence, cyber security, which is the communications department.
“James’s point is there’s an enormous, huge workload injustice that needs to be divided up into two separate departments and two secretary generals. James is adamant, and he’s quite annoyed that they’ve been misinterpreted in the comments and the way that has been suggested. Likewise, Jim.”
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