Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

There have been some very courageous people in Limerick who have gone before the television cameras and spoke their hearts and minds, representing the terrible trauma that exists in Limerick. To do that is courageous because these gangland members are absolutely brutal — there should be no doubt about that. If the debate is diluted or diminished in any way, they will return to their old ways.

I have a feeling from this latest episode that there is a crack coming in the gangland cohesion in Limerick, and that can be a powerful weapon if properly used and fuelled by the Members of these Houses. I agree with Senator Callely that the leaders here should have a meeting to find some mechanism whereby issues of that nature, which are of major national emergency, can be discussed. There is always a danger on the Order of Business when we are working against the clock that good ideas are not developed, and they could be developed with a more elongated debate here. I listened on the Order of Business to some points put forward and they are well worth expanding on and putting forward to Government for consideration.

The Garda Commissioner made it clear that it is exceptionally difficult for the Garda Síochána to handle these cases because of the intimidation of witnesses and people are afraid to come forward. In this atmosphere people have come forward, have come before the camera, and we need to come behind them now, not in a week's time but immediately.