Sinn Féin Kerry North TD Martin Ferris has criticised gardaí in the county, accusing them of "speaking up for" drug pushers in agreeing with defence teams on issues such as an accused's addictions.
Yesterday, in a statement, and afterwards on local radio, Mr Ferris said gardaí in Kerry were "standing up for drug dealers" in court, giving evidence these individuals were reformed and also testifying to their being addicted.
He himself was "working on the ground" in communities and knew the true extent of the drugs problem, he said.
"I am seriously concerned that known drug pushers and criminals in this county are being let off the hook because the gardaí are speaking up on their behalf," he said.
Many people in the county would want to know why gardaí were "asking judges to be lenient" when sentencing drugs pushers, Mr Ferris said.
However, pressed by Fine Gael's Jimmy Deenihan on Radio Kerry, he refused to specify which if any such sentences had been lenient.
Mr Ferris's raising of the drugs issue and criticism of the gardaí has strong echoes of the 2002 general election campaign by Sinn Féin in Kerry North where drugs issues became prominent.
Shortly before the election, Mr Ferris and up to six Sinn Féin members were arrested by gardaí in connection with suspected vigilante activity in north Kerry.
Sinn Féin and Mr Ferris denied any wrongdoing and no charges were brought.
However the arrest was felt to have substantially helped Mr Ferris's poll-topping performance in the subsequent election in which Labour's Dick Spring lost his seat.
Mr Ferris said yesterday that addiction was well known as a defence tactic in Dublin to get drug dealers off the hook and garner lenient sentences.
Gardaí were agreeing with defence team that these persons had addictions, when there was no medical evidence to back up these claims, he said.
"If a person has an addiction, why doesn't he bring evidence to substantiate it?" he said
There was "a perception" now in the communities most affected by drugs in Kerry that individuals were being protected by gardaí in return for information, he added. This was "a perception" he repeated, when pressed by interviewer John Greene.
Garda sources in Kerry denied the claims and said gardaí were regularly asked to give their opinion of the accused in all kinds of trials.
Mr Ferris said over the years he had been "very strong on the issue of drug dealing" in Kerry and at a time when no-one else was. His party had been criticised for their stance in protesting against drug dealing.
He also claimed a senior garda in Kerry denied there was a drugs problem in Kerry in 1996. Mr Ferris knew about the drugs problem in Kerry because he was on the ground working with the people, he said.