Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I am glad the Deputy has had an opportunity to ask the question because I was not refusing to answer it. The constraints of time that the Ceann Comhairle must properly implement prevented me from dealing with the question. As it is, the Director of Public Prosecutions can have recourse and can determine that a prosecution should take place in the Special Criminal Court. The Taoiseach did not indicate there were legislative proposals relating to the Special Criminal Court. His comments were made prior to recent successes the Garda Síochána has had in this area. He indicated if gangland crime continues unabated and undetected, we would have to examine the question of the extended use of the Special Criminal Court. The Taoiseach was, therefore, postulating a future examination of this subject if current measures were found inadequate to deal with the persons concerned.

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