Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

In a reference to drug bosses in Dublin a few months ago, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform spoke about "the last sting of a dying wasp". There are clearly many wasps around the place, given the events on the M50 over the weekend. Can the Minister come into this House some time in the next two weeks to set out his position on the issue of increasing drug-related crime in Dublin? Automatic weapons were used on the M50 last weekend in Dublin, where one gang was pitted against another and innocent bystanders could easily have been shot dead as a result of the gangs' actions. A promise was made to introduce a new offence on gangland membership and membership of such gangs was to be prohibited by law. That promise was made more than a year ago, but we have not yet seen an amendment made to the Criminal Justice Act 2004.

The Government needs to make its position clear on this area. We are dealing with a new type of criminal who is young, amoral, thuggish and vicious and who would shoot people as quick as he would look at them. People in this city are genuinely concerned about their safety. Innocent people, such as the woman in north Dublin a few weeks ago, will be caught up in the gunfire. The Government needs to reply to such concerns.

No. 24, motion 23, on the Order Paper was mooted by Senator Norris and it concerns Mrs. O'Keeffe from Cork, who unsuccessfully took an action in court last week regarding child sex abuse in a school. Schools were outside the remit of the Residential Institutions Redress Board when it was established, but the State has an obligation to pay the costs of her case. This is a test case and it has given a degree of certainty to the law in this area. Mrs. O'Keeffe is to be congratulated for the brave stance she has taken and for her courage in bringing this case. She should not be pursued for costs in this matter. I ask that the Government act immediately to ensure that costs for this case are borne in full by the State so that the legal certainty that has arisen in this judgment might apply to other victims too.