IN another move to counter criticism of the Government's anti crime package, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, has issued fresh clarification of the Coalition's plans.
His lengthy statement last night came within hours of a blunt warning from the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, that the money to pay for the "very expensive" crime package would have to come from "other priorities" of public spending.
The Taoiseach expressed concern that, in the cut and thrust of political debate and in the "comments of vested interests", sight had been lost of exactly what the Government was doing in relation to crime. He wanted to "set the record straight", he said.
Reiterating the proposals outlined earlier this week in relation to the Garda, prisons, the courts and law reform, Mr Bruton said he had asked the Minister of State in charge of the Office of Public Works, Mr Hugh Coveney, to take personal charge of all the prison projects.
Mr Coveney had also been asked to see if target dates for completion of the additional prison places could be improved.
"If there are fast tracks, he will find them and use them. Whatever funds are necessary will be allocated and will be available as soon as they are required to get the extra prison places provided as quickly as possible", the Taoiseach added.
In an apparent response to implicit criticism from the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Culligan, of the proposed review of the force, Mr Bruton said this study would not duplicate any other external work being done on the Garda. "It will be a root and branch review. We want value for money in policing" he added.
He also endorsed the contention of the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, that work on the remand prison at Wheatfield would begin next year not in 1998 as originally stated by the Government.
Meanwhile, Mr Quinn declared that as crime was now top of the Government's agenda, other areas of public spending would have to take their place behind it in the queue. "Social expenditure with regard to housing and extra school buildings will have to take a second place in relation to the priority that we are giving to this new prison in Wheatfield and the completion of phase three of Castlerea", Mr Quinn said.
Public commentators, the Fine Gael parliamentary party and the Sunday Independent would be the first to "scream about curtailing public expenditure" and shout loudest about this Government being unable to control an increase in public spending and would demand reductions in their personal income tax.
"So in effect, people have to realise that this security package is going to be very expensive and I want the same people who are criticising us, as they are undoubtedly doing at the present time, to realise that their criticism has got to be matched by a realisation that the expenditure involved is going to be very expensive and will have to come from other priorities", Mr Quinn said in an RTE interview.
The Minister is understood to have told a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party that there would be little point in them reproaching the Minister for Education over delays on school extensions, since the money would be spent on fighting crime.