Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I wish to begin by thanking those who spoke sincerely and constructively during the debate on this grave issue, particularly my colleagues in Fine Gael and Members of the Labour Party. All Members share a feeling of revulsion in respect of the activities of gangland criminals, whether such activity involves murder, violence, intimidation, drug dealing, drug smuggling or terrorising communities. Where Fine Gael differs from the Government parties and the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in particular, is in respect of how gangland crime should and will be tackled. In recent years, the Government's approach has been characterised by a flurry of promises after every gruesome gangland murder followed by a prolonged period of inactivity. This has been evident since the horrific Crumlin knife crime of last February.

The typical approach of only taking action when matters have reached crisis point has been maintained by the Minister and his predecessor, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan. Hence, the heads of legislation planned during former Minister Michael McDowell's tenure have not yet been published. Criminal Justice Acts passed during the previous Dáil are not yet commenced in many respects. There has been inaction in terms of surveillance, regulations around restrictions on the right to silence, double jeopardy, sentencing guidelines and resourcing of Customs and Excise.

The Minister has boasted of the resources he has allocated to policing numbers, Operation Anvil and the Criminal Assets Bureau, but none of these ideas is new or even came from him in the first instance. He is merely maintaining the status quo, which is insufficient. Clearly, more is needed. That gangs are continuing to thrive is the proof in the pudding of the Government's approach to date.

Fine Gael has introduced a package of measures geared at co-ordinating all of the relevant strands of the criminal justice system in the fight against gangland crime. Lack of co-ordination is the issue. The Garda, the courts, the prisons and the Minister's office operate as independent republics with no co-ordination between them.

We must provide the Garda with modern equipment for crime prevention and evidence gathering, address deficiencies in the court system, establish a judicial sentencing commission, transform our prisons into centres of rehabilitation, which was eloquently put by my colleague, Deputy Sheahan, and, above all, address the scandalous Government apathy in respect of the importation of drugs into the State, as mentioned by my colleague, Deputy Coveney.

Preventing the importation of drugs into the State must be the cornerstone of any effort to end gangland criminality. The drugs scourge has led to the origin and sustenance of criminal gangs for a long time. These drugs enter our unpoliced coastline, through smaller and private airports that rarely, if ever, see a customs inspector and through our ports, where traffic is only sporadically subjected to X-ray scans or intelligence efforts. Until this gross anomaly is addressed, gardaí, the courts and the DPP will be fighting a losing battle against the gangs.

For reasons best known to himself, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is clearly most reluctant to take decisive action in respect of gangland crime. His apathy has led Fine Gael to draft a Private Members' Bill today containing a package of measures, including criminal organisation civil restriction orders, which would make it difficult for gangland criminals to conduct their business and, accordingly, would serve as an important function in the fight against gangland crime and address the difficulties posed by sections 71 to 73 of Mr. McDowell's 2006 legislation. Our Bill also addresses loopholes around sentencing, automatic remission and penalties for possession of blades and firearms.

The Minister has shown a petty and petulant attitude to Private Members' legislation. He owes a duty of care to citizens and the victims of gangland crime and their families to rouse himself from his apathy and to take on the gangland criminals through every means available, including the courts, the Garda, the DPP — the resources of which the Minister slashed — and the Customs and Excise, to which neither he nor the Minister for Finance has given particular attention.

Rarely before has there been such a unity of purpose in the nation in respect of putting an end to gangland crime. The Minister must find the courage and humility to do what needs to be done to eradicate organised crime in the State. I commend the motion to the House.

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