The Taoiseach has defended the Minister for Justice today for being in the Dáil bar while politicians debated the case of a man on hunger strike over the death of his son.
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Mr Ahern said Mr McDowell did not attend the debate because he had a prior engagement and instead delegated the issue to junior minister Mr Ivor Callely.
When his meeting was cancelled, he decided Mr Callely was adequately briefed to continue - and was later seen by journalists in the Dáil bar.
Andrew Moynihan (58) has been on hunger strike outside the Dáil since yesterday morning. He says he to continue his action until the Government sets up a public inquiry into the death of his son Adrian.
The 23-year-old died after a struggle outside a nightclub in Cork city in March 2001. His father said CCTV footage showed he was dragged into a club and died as a result of a brutal assault. Nobody has been convicted over the incident.
Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny said Mr McDowell's failure to attend the debate proved the Government was the "most arrogant in 30 years".
"This matter goes to the heart of Irish democracy," he said.
"He (Mr McDowell) chose not to come in here to answer a sensitive and important matter.
"This is not the first time this has happened with this Government.
"This is now the most arrogant Government we have had in 30 years."
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| Mr McDowell did not attend the debate because he had a prior engagement, the Taoiseach said. |
He said Mr McDowell should explain why justice had not been done in the case, describing the treatment of the matter as "contemptuous".
Mr Ahern said Mr McDowell would now meet Garda authorities to discuss the investigation into the man's death. But he said he could not interfere with any decisions made by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Taoiseach also said it was a "matter of deep regret" that Mr McDowell did not realise the dead man's father was on hunger strike outside the Dáil.
If he knew this, Mr McDowell would have met the man straight away. "He met Mr Moynihan this morning and had a detailed discussion with him," Mr Ahern told the Dail.
A spokesman for Mr McDowell confirmed the minister was in the bar at the time of the discussion.
"He went outside first thing this morning to apologise to him," he said.