Dáil debates

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

Priority Questions.

Gangland Killings.

3:00 pm

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action he proposes to take to address gangland violence and murders, with particular reference to Dublin. [27208/08]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government attaches the highest priority to combating organised crime and bringing those involved in such activities and who show such callous disregard for human life to justice. One of the main priorities set for the Garda Síochána under the Garda Síochána Act is to target gun crime, organised crime and drug trafficking through a range of measures, including the use of Garda specialist units and targeted operations such as Operation Anvil.

The Garda Síochána meets this task by strategic actions including, in particular, continuous and intensive intelligence-led operations against groups and individuals engaged in such illegal activity. Available intelligence is fully analysed and used in the strategic deployment of both local and specialised operational Garda units in targeting persons and groups. It is used in carrying out searches and arrests aimed at both preventing attacks and apprehending persons suspected of being involved in such attacks. Profiles regarding the personnel of organised criminal gangs are continually updated.

Both uniformed and plain clothes Garda patrols and checkpoints have been increased in areas where it is considered likely such attacks might take place. In recent months, action has been focused on particular individuals. Search operations have taken place with the aim of identifying the sources of devices, such as pipe bombs, being used. A quantity of such devices have been seized and a number of persons have been arrested and charged. These persons are currently before the courts. Firearms and drugs have also been recovered resulting in the arrest and charging of persons suspected of being significantly involved in such criminality.

The Garda Commissioner has established on a permanent basis the organised crime unit with the specific objective of targeting those suspected of involvement in organised crime, including drug trafficking, importation, sale and supply. Similar operations are undertaken by Garda specialist units, including the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Drugs Unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Operation Anvil commenced in the Dublin metropolitan region in May 2005 to deal with this type of serious crime and was extended nationwide in 2006. The primary aim of the operation is the targeting of active criminals and their associates involved in serious crime by preventing and disrupting their criminal activity through extensive additional overt and visible policing and patrolling and static checkpoints by uniform, mobile and foot patrols supported by armed plain clothes patrols.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Garda Commissioner is committed to the objectives of Operation Anvil. An allocation of €20 million has been ring fenced in the Garda budget for 2008 to ensure its continuing effectiveness, augmented by other initiatives, both local and national. There is no point in underestimating the difficulties faced by gardaí in counteracting this threat but they have the full support of the Government and, I am sure, all Members of this House in continuing to take relentless action against all those involved.

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the Minister expresses concern about this matter. However, in doing so, I say to him that the time has come to express more than concern. The situation is deteriorating quite rapidly. This year alone, there were over 100 shootings in the city of Dublin, which have been accompanied by 40 bomb attacks. As recently as last weekend, a grenade attack on a private house took place.

Can the Minister explain how organisations such as the INLA have been able to thrive in Dublin to the extent they have in recent times, along with other perhaps more orthodox criminal gangs, and why appropriate action has not been taken to bring these people to justice and stop this litany of bombing, grenades and shootings of record proportions?

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I share the concern of all Oireachtas Members and the reasonable members of the public. The Garda Commissioner has stated he has more than enough resources to target this. Operation Anvil is specifically targeted at this type of crime and resources will continue to be made available. There has been a reduction in the past number of years in the number of murders with firearms. No one wants any murder but in the first part of this year four people have been murdered, as opposed to six in the same period of the previous year. We cannot be complacent about this. On a daily basis I involve myself in discussions with the Garda Commissioner to ensure he has the proper resources targeted at the proper areas in Dublin and elsewhere around the country.

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Regarding firearms, the recently announced proliferation of handguns is totally unacceptable. We have had 1,600 more handguns licensed last year. The Minister expresses his acknowledgement and thanks to a High Court judge for reminding him of that situation. Could I remind him that we had drawn his attention to that by way of parliamentary question on 28 May and 17 June, to which we received very little by way of positive response? How is it that people are leaving this city on a fairly regular basis for cities such as Prague in the Czech Republic to receive firearms training and returning to engage in the use of firearms on a regular basis? What is the Minister doing about this? We have put this question to the Minister in the past, and to his predecessor. Where are the targets, the results and the strategy?

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding firearms, I did not need reminding by the judge or the Fine Gael Party because it was one of the issues I targeted when I became Minister a number of months ago. This is a serious issue and there has been a dramatic rise in the number of licences issued. Prior to this weekend, I intend to bring forward a technical decision because of some court decisions on the interpretation of the recent Act and regulations. There needs to a tightening up because we need to bring this legislation together to ensure there is no further proliferation of these firearms.