Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Yes. I will go back to the central point. I and the Government believe it is necessary for the Houses of the Oireachtas to give a strong statement that the two offences of directing and participation in organised gangs go to the core of the attack by certain individuals on our society and that we should treat those offences with that gravity and send a strong signal that these offences should be tried in the Special Criminal Court unless the DPP decides otherwise.

We have said enough on the matter. While Fine Gael and the Government agree on the issue, we do not necessarily agree with the Labour Party on it.

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