Mr. Jack Nolan:

As the Commissioner has outlined, when the murders started in the gangland feuding, An Garda Síochána was challenged to respond effectively. The Commissioner has outlined the three strand approach. The preventive strand comes under the auspices of Operation Hybrid. Operation Hybrid performs approximately 90 checkpoints per day, supported by armed personnel at strategic locations across all the districts in Dublin. These locations are selected by local detective sergeants and detective inspectors, based on their local knowledge of suspects who reside in the area, suspected persons who may come to the area and potential targets who live in the area. These checkpoints have had some spectacular results. We have estimated that we have prevented the loss of life of at least ten people in the feuding. We have had numerous captures of firearms, persons intercepted on their way to a potential killings, lots of drugs recovered. I can give significant detail, as I have it with me.

These checkpoints are monitored on a daily basis from a central location in Command and Control in Dublin. The completion rate for these checkpoints is at approximately 80%. The other 20% would be diverted to incidents or to ongoing issues. We have a very viable, robust and successful programme operating to prevent people losing their lives. We would have examples of hybrid patrols, as we call them, dedicated units arriving on the scene of a shooting within 90 seconds to two minutes, recovering vehicles that have been used in shootings. These recovered items that have been used in murders - and I have to be careful what I say around particular investigations - but many of these recovered items will feature in what I expect would be successful prosecutions in the future. At this point eight people have been charged with murder in respect of the feud, 45 people have been arrested.

Approximately 9,000 investigative tasks are either completed or in progress. More than 4,500 statements have been taken from witnesses. That should give the committee a flavour of the scale of the investigation process that is ongoing.

The Commissioner has outlined the international element to this investigation, which is very important. This is being pursued vigorously. People will have seen the visible manifestations of that in recent weeks. That will continue and the intelligence that comes from our international co-operation is vital in these operations. There are many little-known facts that would not get into the public domain associated with that intelligence. This allows operations to be run to disrupt the criminal activities of individuals associated with these gangs at the highest levels, at mid-level and at the lowest level. Indeed, the establishment of the serious crime task force is aimed at targeting the mid-level operators, those who are managing the distribution of drugs and using the proceeds of the sale of those drugs for illicit purposes. This is being significantly progressed daily. My people and those of my colleagues around the table who are working in these areas get a weekly briefing on progress, the setting of targets and the revision of targets that have to be met.

This is a big operation. It has been a big operation since early February and it will continue to be a big operation throughout the rest of this year and into next year. As I have said in other public fora, I am confident we will see other people charged with these crimes and brought before the courts of justice. Many of the investigation files are moving towards completion stage. This is not easy to do. They are complex, time consuming and labour intensive, but we are progressing many of these investigations. I confidently expect further charges to emanate in the not-too-distant future.