Ahern criticised in Garda row

The row over Garda figures took another twist yesterday when Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton claimed Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had misrepresented him in the Dáil on Tuesday over his statement about Garda numbers.

He also "categorically" rejected claims by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell in a letter to all TDs that he had "tabled a narrow technical parliamentary question to produce an extremely misleading impression".

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte described Mr McDowell's letter as "extraordinary" and said the only conclusion they could come to was that TDs "should not rely on answers to Parliamentary Questions from his department anymore". Mr Bruton said the Taoiseach suggested he knew there had been a "cull of Dublin Garda stations to strengthen the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation", when he made a statement earlier in the week that Garda numbers had increased by just two in the year to the end of December. The Fine Gael finance spokesman said he had no such knowledge of transfers.

He also dismissed the follow-up claims by Mr McDowell in a letter late on Wednesday night to all TDs. Mr Bruton said he had used the format that the information had always been presented in, the end-of-December figures used by the Minister.

The argument over whether the number of gardaí had increased blew up on Monday when Mr Bruton issued a statement and said that Garda numbers in the Dublin Metropolitan area had increased by just two in the year to the end of December.

In an angry response, Mr McDowell said they had increased by 278 since he became Minister and he likened Mr Bruton to the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. The Minister subsequently apologised for the remark but in a letter on Wednesday night, said that Mr Bruton "solely relying on the response to a narrow technical question, produced an extremely misleading impression".

Mr Rabbitte told the Dáil that the Minister's letter stated his door was open to provide background briefing on how statistical information and statements should be received. "Is the Minister saying that we should clear our press statements with him in future?"

Mr McDowell's letter said that his door remained open to TDs who needed briefings on statistical information.