Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a clear commitment in the programme for Government committing the Government to tackling criminal gangs. It is with great horror that people watch on a regular basis murder and mayhem on our streets, in particular in Dublin. In the past ten days alone there have been two more very callous murders - one last night - which we condemn unreservedly. It is an appalling loss of life that does not seem like ending anytime soon.

I was somewhat disturbed earlier this month when I read reports that funding and resources to the Garda had been reduced and cut, in particular to the armed support unit in terms of the frequency of operational shifts. Could the Taoiseach reaffirm that there have been no such cutbacks to resources to those units and to An Garda Síochána which are combatting the armed criminal gangs in the city?

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