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

I equally assert and put it to the Taoiseach that we must take the multi-agency approach. I remember when the late Ms Veronica Guerin was murdered, it was the catalyst for the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau and it had a very significant impact on the criminals at the time. It worked as it was a no holds barred approach to taking the criminals out of circulation and not being in a position where they could usurp the State, as they have been doing in this area for far too long. In the process they have undermined the capacity of law-abiding citizens to go about their business free of intimidation and the capacity of businesses to continue doing what they do best in creating products and jobs.

Mr. John McCartan said the Taoiseach called him and expressed outrage about what is happening, frustration about how long it is has been happening and surprise that in modern Ireland, this has gotten so far. He suggests the Taoiseach and Minister for Justice and Equality were blind-sided. Before the question about a multi-agency approach, I asked why it took so long to deal even with the public manifestations of these threats, such as the signage, as well as the threats to individual directors that have been ongoing for quite some time. Will the Taoiseach explain why it took so long for the authorities to respond to those?

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