Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I heard the first part of the Taoiseach's reply describing what happened on Sunday morning near where I live. To be honest, it sounded more like the Garda report. I do not know whether the Taoiseach is auditioning for a part on "Crimeline" or taking responsibility, as Head of Government, for what is happening out in gangland. It is fair enough to say that the figures for Operation Anvil show the level of activity, criminality and the real threat that exists.

It is a tragedy in the middle of all of this that the Government is undermining the national drugs strategy which was designed to reduce demand for drugs. The lead community member of the drugs strategy, Mr. Fergus McCabe, felt obliged to resign because of the manner in which it is not being supported by Government and the way the community input is being diminished.

At the same time we have this extraordinary explosion whereby, for example, a 27 year old in the constituency of my colleague, Deputy Burton, was shot because he owed a debt of €500. That is the level it has reached. It is being driven by the drugs craze. There is no sign of the Government being in control. When the Taoiseach talks about Operation Anvil, the fact is that out of 75 killings in the five years I mentioned last week, there have been 12 convictions. These young thugs believe they can do this with impunity. They believe they will not be brought to justice and that on a lottery they have a great chance of escaping conviction. As matters stand, they are right.

It is all very well for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to fulminate into any number of microphones about any number of issues he cares to think about, including the Taoiseach's political prospects. However, what is being said to people who believe that it is the first duty of a Government to provide for their safety when there is open warfare on busy motorways? All we can say about Sunday morning is that it was a miracle that nobody was killed. There were three young women in the back, cars coming in the opposite direction and machine gun fire across the vehicle. It is extraordinary.

There is no confidence in the House and none outside it that the Government is in control of this situation or that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform understands the crime wave we are living through. He seems to have convinced himself that he is doing a good job and that the fault lies elsewhere, when in fact a 27 year old can be shot because he allegedly owes €500. That is how cheap human life has become and there is no evidence I can see that there is any preparation to sit on these gangs until they are brought to justice. They are running through this city with impunity and the Minister, meanwhile, is addressing every other subject except the one for which he is politically accountable to this House.

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