Sinn Féin has exploited the campaign in support of the five Rossport men to attack Fine Gael over its opposition to the release of the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe, according to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.
"It is perfectly in order for anybody in public life or anybody in a political party to be vocal about issues as they see them. I have no objection to that, but I find an insidious campaign is going on here targeted against myself in particular."
Mr Kenny said on RTÉ's The Week in Politics last night: "It has been brought home to me that this is because Fine Gael stood very strongly out against the secret deal done by the Government with Sinn Féin and the IRA for the release of the killers of Jerry McCabe from Castlerea Prison."
The FG leader's constituency office in Castlebar, Co Mayo, has been picketed by members of Sinn Féin on several occasions since the five men were jailed for more than three months for contempt of court. He faced persistent criticism during the summer for his relative silence on the issue.
On the same programme, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin agreed that Sinn Féin had tried to embarrass the larger political parties.
"I have no doubt, looking at the early stages particularly, when we saw the Sinn Féin leaders both from the North of Ireland and from Kerry heading up to Mayo. It wasn't just then just a debate between the community and the company ... it was undoubtedly jumped upon by politicians for their own purposes."
Fianna Fáil Mayo TJohn Carty said: "The only part that would worry me a little bit is that some people have used it for their own advantage rather than for the men who were incarcerated."
