David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday afternoon, a man was shot dead in broad daylight on Kilbarron Avenue in Coolock in Dublin. Last week, a man was shot in broad daylight in Darndale in a laneway adjacent to a primary school. These murders follow on from a spate of other shootings and killings in recent weeks and months in Dublin, Drogheda and other parts of the country, with numerous people dead and seriously injured as a result of criminal feuds. People in those communities are living in fear. I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that these are great communities. Darndale, Coolock and Drogheda are great communities but people are living in fear and they deserve better.

While I acknowledge the complexity of gang feuds and dealing with them, as well as the enormous challenge of tackling gangs which cannot be understated, the reality is that this Government is not doing enough. The response, to say the least, has been lacklustre. The Garda has done some good work in recent times. We have seen drug seizures and arrests but the Garda is operating with one hand tied behind its back. It is confined by a lack of resources and personnel. The figures speak for themselves. We have fewer gardaí now than we had ten years ago. This is not only an urban issue. People in rural Ireland are also fearful of crime. We have had an increase in burglaries and break-ins to people's homes. People need protection. Many Garda stations across rural Ireland have fewer gardaí and resources now than they had ten years ago. Many communities, towns and villages have no Garda stations because they were closed by the Taoiseach's Government and Fianna Fáil.

The approach to tackling violent crime has been, for the most part, a reactionary one on the part of the Government. We need more gardaí on the beat and more resources for An Garda Síochána so they can put these people behind bars. We also need to do more to divert young people from crime. That means more resources for those who work in the field of tackling drugs and making sure that people have alternatives. All the drug task forces, which have also been decimated by Government funding cuts under the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil, are now coming home to roost and are biting. I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that these killings are unacceptable and the people in the affected communities deserve better. What is the Government going to do about them?

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