Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Taoiseach may well say we have plenty of laws but the average, law abiding citizen is concerned that we have plenty of deaths as well, plenty of killings, a huge increase in the crime wave, falling detection rates and communities ravaged by drugs and drug pushers. That is the reality.

When we think about the cliché uttered by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he came before the House two years ago to tell us that we had just experienced the last sting of the dying wasp, it was reported as a colourful remark from the boring Minister, but should someone with that sort of judgment be in charge of this portfolio, someone who told this House in all gravity that this was the last sting of the dying wasp?

There has been a swarm of wasps since and this Minister does not seem to have any grasp of the reality of life in communities afflicted by the drugs menace. He does not seem to understand that there is not a town or village that is not affected by the drugs menace. He does not seem to understand that most of this vicious crime is driven by drugs. A plumber's apprentice was shot down in broad daylight in his place of work. The Taoiseach made a remark but one can never know whether he meant it or it was a slip of the tongue. He said whatever about the other murders, these are terrible today. There is an attitude that while a gangland member is killing a gangland member, the rest of us will put up with it but the fear was expressed so frequently that one of these days, one of these gangland killings would involve an innocent citizen, which is exactly what happened earlier. A young apprentice was shot down in his place of work this morning, presumably casually, because he could have been a relevant witness to the crime.

It is not good enough for the Taoiseach to say he is turning over stones, we have plenty of laws and it is terrible this is happening. Somebody needs to get a grip on this situation.

See this speech in context