Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Over the weekend two more young men were shot dead, one in Ronanstown and one in Newcastle. That brings to 150 the number of gun murders which have occurred in the State since the Taoiseach took office in 1997. The Garda is expressing concern that the gun murders over the weekend could lead to a further spate of killings. We have had 150 gun murders so far since the Taoiseach took office.

Before he took office in 1997 the Taoiseach said at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis in April 1997: "I will make the fight against crime my first priority in a new Fianna Fáil Government. He went on to say he had a message for the drug barons and the criminal gangs. He said: "Our plan is to arrest you, prosecute you and put you in jail". Of the 150 gun murders that have occurred in the State since the Taoiseach came to office, how many convictions have been secured?

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