Row breaks out between Fianna Fail's Jim O'Callaghan and Fine Gael's Helen McEntee

A row has broken out between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as Helen McEntee said that “women all over the country understand what it's like when men try to claim credit for their work”.

It follows comments from Fianna Fáil Dublin Bay South candidate Jim O’Callaghan. He suggested that he had proposed many of the initiatives that Ms McEntee had introduced during her time in the Department of Justice.

“We need to build on the good proposals that Fianna Fáil came up with before,” he told RTÉ’s Prime Time. "I commend the minister for the fact she adopted our proposal about raising the recruitment age and also the retirement was raised to 62.”

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Ms McEntee said that Mr O’Callaghan had turned down a junior ministry in the Department of Justice and that she had “turned up day in, day out”.

Mr O’Callaghan responded: “I’ve been far more effective as a backbench Fianna Fáil TD [...] than being the Minister’s assistant. I’ve been much more effective as the Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson. The Minister has adopted my proposals in respect of knife crime. She adopted my proposal in respect of the Children’s Act. She adopted my proposal in respect of recruitment. She adopted my proposals in respect of safe countries.”

Asked about the comments on Friday morning, Ms McEntee dismissed the remarks.

“I think there's probably women all over the country who will understand what it's like when men try to claim credit for their work,” she told reporters.

Asked whether she was suggesting Mr O’Callaghan was being sexist, Ms McEntee stated: “I'll repeat what I said. I think women all over the country can understand and see what they've heard over the last few days.”

Fianna Fáil also launched it’s justice policy on Friday morning. Mr O’Callaghan said that there would have been “greater progress in the area of justice” if Fianna Fáil had taken the ministry. Tánaiste Micheál Martin has already indicated that he wants his party to take the justice portfolio in a new government.

Mr O’Callaghan added: “It really needs a new energy within that department.”

In response to Ms McEntee's comments, Mr O'Callaghan told the Irish Mirror: "The Minister should accept that many of the positive measures she introduced were suggested by myself and Fianna Fáil. She should be able to accept comments to that effect."

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