CRIME reemerged as a central issue in the general election campaign yesterday, with Fianna Fail leading the debate. The parts identified a series of inaccuracies in Fine Gael's advertising about crime, which Fine Gael appeared unable to explain.
Fine Gael and Democratic Left then accused the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, of doing little or nothing to combat the growth in drug abuse in his own constituency.
The attacks on Mr Ahern marked a new low in the level of debate on crime, and suggest the Rainbow parties believe Fianna Fail has gained the upper hand on the issue.
The day began with a press conference at which Fianna Fail announced its crime policies for the fourth time in two months. Pressed on how soon Fianna Fail would initiate its "zero tolerance" policing plan if elected to government, the justice spokesman, Mr John O'Donoghue, said: "As quickly as possible".
But he acknowledged that the 2,000 extra prison spaces and 1,200 extra gardai the party has promised would have to be provided for the policy to work effectively.
Fianna Fail also costed its crime proposals for the first time. Building extra prisons would require capital expenditure of £200 million, and these and other measures would add £192 million to annual spending.
Mr Ahern challenged Fine Gael to explain its newspaper advertisement claiming the Rainbow Government had "created 800 more prison spaces" and "provided 1.500 more gardai". In fact, Garda numbers have been falling and the number of prison places has grown by less than 200.
A Fine Gael spokesman said: "We have created the spaces in that they will be there. The actual spaces aren't there, in terms of walls and bars around them." He said the advertisement was intended to highlight the plan to eventually add 800 spaces to the system.
Later, Fine Gael issued a statement which said: "Every fact contained in our recent advertisements is accurate."
The Democratic Left leader, Mr De Rossa, said he was not familiar with the Fine Gael advertisement or how the figures in it were calculated. Questions about it should be directed to Fine Gael, he said.
The Rainbow's major crime initiative yesterday was to accuse Mr Ahern of having made "a late conversion" to the crime issue.
"It's a pity he didn't show such an interest when he was Minister for Finance," said the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen. "In all my years in the Dail I cannot recall Deputy Ahern making one single substantial statement or suggestion on the drugs and crime problem in his own constituency of Dublin Central".
Mr Pat Rabbitte of Democratic Left said Mr Ahern "presided over the constituency worst affected over the last 15 years and never lifted a finger".
. The Garda is to buy 20 four wheel drive vehicles for dealing with car thieves and "ram raiders", the Department of Justice announced. The Cabinet approved the measure yesterday.