Madam, - In his article headed "Spoiling for the big fight" (Weekend Review, January 6th), Mark Hennessy writes that my conduct towards Nora Owen, when she served as Minister for Justice, "frequently bordered on the vicious" and that it was "certainly targeted, personal, sustained and ultimately, probably successful". Mr Hennessy is writing in the context of an examination of "negative campaigning". I vehemently reject his contention that my conduct bordered on the vicious or that it was personal.
A fairer analysis of the period during which I served as Opposition Spokesperson on Justice would have acknowledged that, far from being immersed in "negative campaigning", I published more Private Members' Bills in the justice area than any other politician of my or any other generation. For the record these include: The Criminal Law Sexual (Jurisdiction) Bill; The Criminal Justice (Bail) Bill; The Criminal Justice (Illicit Assets) Bill; Crime Prevention - Prison Accommodation Bill; Crime Prevention and Protection Bill; Criminal Procedure Bill; Drug Abuse Bill; Garda Síochána Bill; Misuse of Drugs Bill; Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Bill; Prison Bill; Prosecution of Offences and Punishment of Crime Bill; Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill.
A more balanced consideration of my contribution would have noted that the government of the day accepted more private members' criminal justice bills from me than any other Opposition TD in the history of the State.
This included the historic and ground-breaking Proceeds of Crime Act which, inter alia, provided for the freezing and confiscation of illicit assets without the necessity of a criminal conviction. One of the consequences was the formation of the Criminal Assets Bureau to implement my legislation. Other jurisdictions have followed suit.
A cursory examination of the Dáil records during the period February, 1995 to May, 1997 will reveal that the "negative campaigning" of which Mr Hennessy accuses me was in fact constructive criticism accompanied by radical and innovative solutions.
As to whether it was successful or not, I believe the people passed judgment in the general election of 1997 - and there is no higher court. - Yours, etc,
JOHN O'DONOGHUE TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism,Dáil Éireann, Dublin 2.