Senior Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan yesterday said that his party and Labour would be supporting the Greens' attempt to obtain a retraction from McDowell.

Green Party figures remain furious at the comments, claiming they were a blatant abuse of Dail privilege, which affords full immunity from libel laws for speakers. Party chairman John Gormley . . . who was the target for the justice minister's comments . . . has already spoken with the Clerk of the Dail and is seeking a meeting with the Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon on the issue. He told the Sunday Tribune that he would also be writing to McDowell . . . who represents the same constituency, Dublin South-East, as the minister . . .

asking him to withdraw the remarks.

"If necessary, we will use every possible Dail means to get a correction or a retraction, " Gormley said. "It would set a bad precedent to use Dail privilege in this way. . . In the past, speakers have retracted [when they have gone too far] and it would be unprecedented for a speaker not to do so."

Gormley said the Greens were "not going to roll over on this" or be seen as an easy touch. "If Enda Kenny was described as a fellow traveller of the thugs in Dublin that day there would be uproar. You can imagine what would happen, " he said, adding that the Greens would not be treated differently.

Phil Hogan said Fine Gael and Labour would support efforts to "force the minister for justice to deal with law and order issues in a truthful manner rather than hurling insults". He said there was "no doubt" that McDowell was "out of order".

McDowell made his comments during priority questions last Thursday week.

During an exchange with Gormley, the minister said: "I am merely saying that the party and viewpoint with which most people, including me, would most closely associate the anoraked group which descended on my party's offices would be the deputy's."

Gormley countered that McDowell had "cast a slur by making a serious, outrageous allegation" and called on him to "disown the disgraceful remarks he made". The minister replied: "There was muesli in the air and opentoed sandals on the street."