McDowell’s record as minister for justice is unsurpassed. Reform of the prison service and the gardai are on the way. The only solution to Mountjoy’s problems is the demolition of the existing prison and the relocation of the inmates to Thornton Hall. McDowell’s endearing legacy will be his successful campaign in highlighting the hypocrisy of the Provisional movement. He forced the issue onto the agenda and, in the long term, he may have helped put an end to the IRA.
Cooper’s dismissal of the minister’s achievements may come back to haunt him. Courting short-term popularity, while ignoring the truth, can damage a commentator’s career as much as a politician’s.
John Kenny
Monkstown Valley, Co Dublin