DUBLIN'S lord mayor, Fine Gael's Gerry Breen, said his party must "guard against the cling-ons" of Labour in forming the next government. His comments were made during a speech in which he even rounded on members of his own party.

Breen made the remarks in a recent address to Young Fine Gael and fortified them last week in the council by accusing the Labour Party of being "anti-Catholic".

Speaking to the youth wing of Fine Gael, Breen also attacked his party's senator Liam Twomey for publicly criticising the invitation of Brian Lenihan to address the Beal na mBlath commemoration.

"His first mistake was to comment on the suitability of the minister for finance for his job given his medical condition. That was beyond the pale," he said.

Last week, at a meeting of Dublin City Council, the lord mayor was asked to withdraw his remarks that members of the Labour Party were
anti-Catholic during a debate on the renaming of Archbishop Park.

"There is a fad out there, particularly I suppose by certain members of the Labour Party, a huge anti-Catholic thrust about them," he said.

"The Catholic church, in my book, is an easy target. They are unsophisticated; they certainly don't have spin doctors and PR people on their side and I would be of the view we should leave well enough alone."

In a separate attack on the party earlier this month, the lord mayor told Young Fine Gael that Labour's core competence is being in opposition.

"They remind me of the dog at the crossroads who chases every car that passes. But if a car stopped and they were handed the car keys they would shrink away," he said.

"We must guard against the cling-ons who will attach themselves to any future government."