Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I do not wish to elaborate on what Senator O'Toole said, except to ask him to be patient. As a member of the sub-committee, along with two other Members of the House, we have put a good deal of effort into this in the past two years and we hope to conclude our business. That is all I shall say in this regard. We have never mentioned outside what was discussed in the sub-committee and it puts us in an invidious position when a Member of this House raises the issue.

As someone who comes from Limerick I am ashamed of what is happening in that area. It is sad and regrettable. I recognise that certain work is being done as regards trying to improve the situation in Moyross. However, what is now evolving in Limerick is a shocking commentary, where a 15 year old shot a boy aged five who comes from another estate in the city, in the South Hill area, which has had its share of problems. A young person of 15 carried an automatic gun with cartridges on a crowded bus going into the city last Sunday and was subsequently arrested. The sequence to this is that the godfathers of crime in the Limerick area are now using minors to carry out shooting offences within our community and that is a shocking indictment.

I compliment the gardaí on the work they are trying to do and I congratulate Mr. John Fitzgerald, the former Dublin City Manager, who comes from Limerick, and who recently has been appointed to investigate the problem. I want maximum resources put in place in Limerick to stifle what is happening, which is doing a great deal of harm to the community and frightening a great many good meaning people in the estates affected. We have to remove from circulation the people responsible and the sooner we do so the better.