Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for the reply. Prime Minister Arden's approach in the aftermath of the horrific shooting and murders in Christchurch set an example globally of statesmanship of which everybody involved in politics, women and men, can be proud.

Following on from the Taoiseach's comments regarding the introduction of further gun control in New Zealand, will he consider the introduction of similar legislation here? This morning, there was another gun attack in the Sheephill area of Corduff. There was also a gun attack early last night in Finglas. One of these gun attacks took place in the constituency which the Taoiseach and I represent and the other was in an adjacent constituency. There are armed patrols patrolling the city centre in Dublin. The Taoiseach referred in his reply to advances New Zealand is making in this area. Its response to the murders was to tighten gun control significantly. In the aftermath of the Christchurch murders, did the Taoiseach take the opportunity to review security and gun control here, which, because of the cocaine and other drugs trade, is pretty much out of control? Children in our primary schools are worried about walking to and from school because they might get caught up in gunmen shooting at each other. As I said, early this morning in a nice estate like Sheephill, there was a gun attack which we are given to understand is related to feuding among rival drugs gangs and drugs operators.

The Taoiseach's engagement with Prime Minister Ardern probably took place in the immediate aftermath of the shootings. Will he take a leaf out of New Zealand's book and try to remove guns from Irish society so that our society will not be worn down, exploited and, possibly, destroyed by the drugs trade in terms of the gun violence that it is bringing to the streets of all our major cities and, particularly, the areas he and I represent? Will he establish a special task force to address this issue because it needs to be done?

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