Coogan's view of McDowell

Madam, - Tim Pat Coogan describes Minister for Justice Michael McDowell as the guru of "the Dublin anti-republican elite" (Opinion…

Madam, - Tim Pat Coogan describes Minister for Justice Michael McDowell as the guru of "the Dublin anti-republican elite" (Opinion & Analysis, March 12th). Mr Coogan is either ill-informed or biased in his view.

Since Michael McDowell re-entered Irish politics in February 2002 he has put the spotlight firmly on the criminality of the IRA. This was not on the political agenda until that point. For over two years he was accused of trying to wreck the peace process (most notably by the Fine Gael TD Charles Flanagan). Mr McDowell held firm and in the past three months the entire political establishment has embraced the Minister's stance on this issue.

The Minister has also been very clear in defining the "Provisional movement" as opposed to the republican movement. Has Mr Coogan not read any of these speeches? - Yours, etc,

JOHN KENNY, Moran's Cottages, Dublin 6.