Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this critical matter for the people of Limerick. I also thank the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for attending the House for this Adjournment matter and for recognising how important the issue is. I express my deepest sympathy to the Geoghegan family on the tragic and brutal murder of Shane Geoghegan. He was a keen sportsman with Garryowen rugby club. This has been a very difficult time for the family. Shane is being waked tonight in Limerick and his funeral mass takes place tomorrow.

Like everyone else in Limerick, I was absolutely shocked at what happened. Shane was coming home having watched the Canada-Ireland rugby match on television when he was gunned down in a callous and brutal fashion by amoral and ruthless individuals. It defies logic and is a watershed moment which can never be allowed to recur. Some of the measures I am proposing may be difficult, but such measures are needed in difficult times. I am approaching it from the premise that we can never allow anything like this to happen again. A small minority of individuals in Limerick are destroying life for everyone else. There have been four gangland murders already this year in Limerick.

I am proposing that the Government establish an Anvil-style operation, as was done after Veronica Guerin's murder in Dublin. An assistant Garda commissioner should be appointed to head up a 24-hour armed surveillance unit to track these gangland criminals and ensure that they cannot move freely. A fully-resourced CAB unit should also be established in Limerick. We must get at the financial assets of such people, who must be prosecuted. In addition, a second judge should be appointed to the Circuit Criminal Court, which has a back-log of cases.

Some 40 people are currently in custody who are directly linked to criminal gangs in Limerick. Gangland membership must designated as a specific criminal offence. We should allow an assistant Garda commissioner or chief superintendent to provide evidence to a court, such as the Special Criminal Court. Everyone knows who is committing these crimes and we have to take these people out of circulation. Such action must be taken because they are creating a fear factor amongst the general public.

The Garda should be able to obtain exclusion orders in court in respect of these criminals so they cannot move into certain areas of the city. It is proving difficult to do this at the moment. There must be a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for murder and ten years for possession of illegal firearms, without the possibility of bail. Many offences are being committed by people while out on bail. In addition, electronic surveillance of gangland criminals should be provided. Many of these crimes are being directed from prison. It is critical to extend to Limerick and other prisons the current pilot scheme in Portlaoise, blocking mobile phone coverage in such places of detention.

The witness protection programme must be put on a statutory footing and the right to silence must be qualified. It is critical that suspects cannot rely purely on the right to remain silent. Objections could be overcome by allowing videotapes of interviews in Garda stations to be used as evidence in court. This would ensure people could see when such people are remaining silent during questioning.

We need decisive action from the Government. Earlier today, the Taoiseach made vague statements, but the Government must provide a statement of intent. It must deal head on with gangland crime in Limerick. This can be done by providing an assistant Garda commissioner and a 24-hour armed surveillance unit in the city. It should be a specific criminal offence to be a member of a criminal gang anywhere in Ireland. An assistant Garda commissioner or chief superintendent should be able to provide intelligence and give evidence in a court, like the Special Criminal Court, to take these people out of circulation.

I sympathise with the Geoghegan family at this difficult time. We can never allow anything like this to happen again. The Government must come forward with specific remedies and actions in this regard.

See this speech in context