Fine Gael has called on the Attorney General to resign after what Sinn Féin's Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has called a "hysterical diatribe" against his party.
Fine Gael front bench member, Mr Charlie Flanagan, claimed yesterday that Mr McDowell's partisan attack on Sinn Féin, on the occasion of his selection as a Dáil candidate on Thursday night, had "damaged the office of Attorney General".
As guardian of the Constitution, he maintained, the Attorney General should remain above politics.
Mr McDowell had said that "any person or party who owes a loyalty to the IRA, to its Army Council, to its 'court martials', to its claimed right to inflict murder and torture as a system of discipline or punishment, or to any putative sovereign authority which is not the Irish State, simply has no business in the Dáil or the Seanad".
Mr Flanagan said Mr McDowell was establishing the precedent of "using the office of the Attorney general as a platform to advance his political career and to improve the public profile of the Progressive Democrats".
Mr Ó Caoláin said Mr McDowell's attack on his party had no credibility. "It was meant to do two things.
"Firstly, it was aimed at that narrow section of the electorate which might support the PDs and was designed to frighten them into voting for PD candidates to ensure they return to Government with Fianna Fáil and rule out any prospect of Sinn Féin being involved in post-election negotiations.
"Secondly, Mr McDowell's rant was an attempt to deter the growing number of people who are supporting Sinn Féin.
"As such, it is a totally futile exercise as the election results will demonstrate."
Elaine Keogh adds: The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, has called on Mr McDowell to withdraw his claim that Sinn Féin owed loyalty to the IRA and had no right to be in the Dáil.
"His remarks are the most worrying comments I have heard in recent times; for him to say Sinn Féin has no moral constitutional right to seek election is deplorable and outrageous and I call on him to withdraw his remarks."
As the Government's most senior lawmaker, it was reprehensible for Mr McDowell to make the comments in any capacity whatsoever.