A NORTHERN senator yesterday urged the Minister for Justice to consider the implications of what appeared to be a contest as to which party would best handle law and order in this State.
Mr Sam McAughtry (Ind) said he was dismayed when he crossed the Border into the South and saw a huge poster claiming that one political party could lock up more criminals than another.
"All one has to do is to look at Great Britain to find out what happens when law and order becomes a political football," he said. "The first casualty is the central core of democracy, which is that people are innocent until proven guilty. This has been abused to some extent."
Mr Michael Mulcahy (FF) called for a wide ranging debate on the referendum proposal which would, he said, involve the greatest constitutional change for a long time.
Claiming that some Labour senators had decided to vote against a hail law change, Mr Mulcahy said he wanted a statement from that party's senators as to whether they were backing the referendum.
When the Cathaoirleach, Mr Liam Naughten, ruled him out of order, saying that the political views of any party were not appropriate for the Order of Business, Mr Mulcahy responded that if the referendum was lost, the Labour Party would have to explain why. The party leader, Mr Spring, should come into the House and explain his party's policy on the issue.
Ms Jan O'Sullivan (Lab) complained that Mr Mulcahy had made unsubstantiated allegations about members of the Seanad.
House leader Mr Maurice Manning said Mr McAughtry had talked sense. "It does not require a comment." Members who felt strongly about the bail issue should take the debate to their local radio stations and in newspapers and have it aired there.