Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

This situation on our streets has now reached crisis point. Another innocent life was lost last week, and my sympathies are with the family of Mr. Shane Geoghegan. I watched his mother on television last night as she spoke about the death of her son. It brought home the sad reality of how gangland crime can tear families apart and one would have to be made of stone not to be moved by her courage and how she spoke about her son. We can swap statistics and figures but we must realise there is a human element to this situation.

Communities and families are being affected by gangland activity. It is not about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are all entitled to walk down the street or through our neighbourhoods without our lives being threatened. When I think back to the killing of Mr. Anthony Campbell in Finglas, a young plumber who was going about his daily work, or Ms Donna Cleary, who was shot dead at a party in Coolock, I am deeply saddened by the thought of these young, innocent victims whose lives were cut short by those who have no respect for human life or law and order.

It is more than obvious that the system is really failing when it comes to bringing criminals to justice. If the criminal justice system does not put proper deterrents in place to prevent criminals from taking the law into their own hands and killing anyone who gets in their way this situation will spiral further out of control. All murder convictions should incur a sentence of 25 years in jail. In recent years sentences of just 13 years have been handed down for murder and this is not enough.

The main causes of gangland activity are drug-related yet in 2006 just one person received the mandatory ten year sentence for drug dealing. This is a joke. People dealing in drugs are themselves passing on a death sentence to anyone they supply. They receive short sentences and are released. Drugs are a lethal weapon and the sentences must reflect the seriousness of the crime.

On my own doorstep in Inchicore, Walkinstown, Ballyfermot and Crumlin, 15 people have been shot dead. Many of these have stemmed from gangland activity involving the feuding gangs in Crumlin and Drimnagh. These gangs have wreaked havoc on our local community for the past ten years. After Limerick, this is the bloodiest gangland feud in the country involving rival groups, who started off dabbling in drugs and are now fighting for control of the drugs trade on their patch. In today's society, it seems that drugs equal power. Drug dealers are becoming very powerful and they can control entire communities. I will never forget the senseless killing of the two young Polish men in Drimnagh earlier this year who were violently attacked by a group of teenagers. This shows that the gang mentality can raise its ugly head in other equally dangerous forms.

The grim reality is that many drug dealers and gangs are better equipped than the Garda. They have technology, illegal guns and proper cars which the Garda do not have. A guard told me even their handcuffs are outdated. Despite Government promises, the 2009 intake into the Garda Training College will be reduced, which is unbelievable as crime is at an all-time high in this country. We urgently need more community gardaí on our streets who walk the streets, listen to people and understand and relate to young people. I urge the Minister to recruit more gardaí to Templemore and not to reduce the number.

We have to stop giving these criminals an easy ride. For them crime pays and that is why we have to get tough, and the softly-softly approach has failed. Mr. Shane Geoghehan's death was the 17th gangland murder this year. Must we wait until another innocent victim is murdered on our streets before the Minister and the Government make protecting our communities a priority?

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