The justice ministry needs “new political control and direction” after 14 years with a Fine Gael minister at its helm, Jim O’Callaghan has said.

The Fianna Fail justice spokesman said there was a “question mark” over whether Fine Gael was the party of law and order as he used the party’s election slogan to criticise their track record on justice.

The first week of the election campaign has seen the two coalition parties publicly rowing with each other, with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin saying he was surprised by the tone of the Fine Gael attacks.

I believe, had we had the full ministry in the Department of Justice, I believe we would have seen greater progress in the area of justice.

On Friday morning, Fine Gael Justice Minister Helen McEntee hit back when asked about Mr O’Callaghan’s suggestion that she had adopted a series of proposals on law and order and immigration that he had put forward.

“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 in Dublin on Friday.

Speaking at the nearby launch of Fianna Fail’s proposals to clamp down on crime, Mr O’Callaghan said that the Justice Department needed “a new energy” – which has been a Fine Gael campaign slogan.

“I think it would have been different and sometimes political emphasis or political direction have a real impact in terms of a government department,” he said.

“Look at housing, and look what Eoghan Murphy (former Fine Gael housing minister) said when he was in the department, you can have a well-intentioned minister, but unless you have the political emphasis and the political support behind you to make changes, it won’t happen.

“I believe, had we had the full ministry in the Department of Justice, I believe we would have seen greater progress in the area of justice.

“I think that’s part of the reason why Micheal (Martin) has indicated that if it comes to negotiations, if the people put us in the position where we can go into government, that’s one of the portfolios we’d be interested in pursuing.”

Asked whether Ms McEntee was an “ineffective” justice minister, Mr O’Callaghan said he was not going to personalise the criticism.

“I’m not going to personalise it at all to minister McEntee or to any Fine Gael minister, but let’s recognise the statistics.

“The Department of Justice has been under the control of Fine Gael for the past nearly 14 years, and although there’s been progress in very many other areas in the past four years, I think the questions that are arising in the Department of Justice over the past 14 years are growing in many respects.

“So I’m not going to personalise it to minister McEntee, but I do think there is a benefit to help the Department of Justice under new political control and direction, as it really needs a new energy within that department.”

Asked whether they were stealing Fine Gael’s title as the party of law an order, he said there was “a question mark” over whether Fine Gael “were traditionally the party of law and order”.

“Certainly this century, I think there’s a question mark over that,” he said.

Launching her own party’s justice policy plans in Dublin on Friday, Ms McEntee would not be drawn when asked whether she wanted to continue as justice minister if she is re-elected and Fine Gael return to government.

“Nobody has been elected here,” she said. “My focus over the next two weeks is to get re-elected to represent the people of Meath East, and I hope that we will be in a position to return to government with Simon Harris as our taoiseach.

“Anything beyond that really is a matter for two, three, four weeks time when we see what the outcome is and what people have decided, and I think anything beyond that is simply arrogant.”

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.

Ms McEntee said she had a “very strong” record of delivery in justice.

“I want to be re-elected, and I think anything beyond that is jumping the gun,” she said.

“I will stand on my record in justice. I think I have a very strong record.

“If I’m lucky is enough to be elected again and to be asked to serve in any ministry, then I’ll very happily take that.”

Later, when asked about Ms McEntee’s comments about men claiming credit for women’s work, Mr O’Callaghan said: “The minister should accept that many of the positive measures she introduced were suggested by myself and Fianna Fail.

“She should be able to accept comments to that effect.”

Labour’s Duncan Smith said Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are “natural coalition partners” and are “more or less in the same space” on policy issues.

He suggested that any rows between them during an election campaign were “performative” and should be taken “with a pinch of salt”.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said people were “rallying to that message” of change as she asked the public to “give us a chance” to fix housing and reduce the VAT rate for hospitality.