Jim O'Callaghan says he does not believe Bertie Ahern is a racist

Gordon Deegan

The Minister for Justice said that he doesn’t believe that former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil party leader, Bertie Ahern, is a racist.

Speaking to reporters outside Ennis Garda Station this morning during a visit to Co Clare, Jim O’Callaghan was asked to respond to recorded comments made by Mr Ahern where he said “the ones I worry about are the Africans”.

O’Callaghan stated, “I don’t believe Bertie Ahern is a racist.

He said: “Listening to his comments, they were probably inappropriate in that you are probably better off not identifying certain nationalities as being less favourable than others."

He said: “When I am dealing with the issue of immigration, I am seeking to deal with it on a principled basis in terms of a system which is fair and firm and a rules-based system.”

When asked would he have done anything different in his response to the recent fuel protests, O’Callaghan said: “No - I wouldn’t have actually - looking back on it - it was a difficult time in terms of the country."

He said: “But had it progressed and if there was no fuel in the garages around the country and if there was no bread on the shelves of the supermarkets and if the gardaí had not gone in, I would have been the person politically responsible for that and people could have legitimately said to me ‘you are not doing your job’."

He said: “I want to commend the Gardai and indeed the Defence Forces for what they did. There was some criticism of the fact that I mentioned that the Gardai had requested the assistance of the Defence Forces.

He said: “That was correct. Maybe I shouldn’t tell the truth or maybe I shouldn’t be transparent but I think it is important to state what is actually the situation on the ground.“

He said: “Had I not done that and if people had spotted the army on the Saturday and people would be saying to me ‘who ordered in the army? 'Why weren't we told about this?’."

Asked if he believes that his response to the fuel protests has weakened his chances of becoming a future party leader of Fianna Fáil, O’Callaghan said: “I don’t care whether it has or it hasn’t.”

Asked if it is a time for a leadership change at Fianna Fáil, O’Callaghan replied: “No, I think Micheál (Martin) is doing a very good job actually, and Fianna Fáil is in a very strong position.”

Travelling to Dublin later to participate in the 100-year celebrations of the founding of Fianna Fáil at the party's Ard Fheis, Minister O’Callaghan said that Fianna Fáil “is a remarkable political institution and a remarkably successful political party when you look back at the 100 years”.

O’Callaghan said that he hopes to introduce the bill concerning ‘Jenny’s Law’ to the Dáil before the Summer recess. He said: “That is a positive development.”

The new law will allow those convicted of domestic violence against a partner or former partner to be publicly named on a Register of Judgements.