Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the gun attack on a young man on Monasterboice Road in Crumlin during the early hours of yesterday morning. This latest gun attack in the heart of my constituency, just a short distance from my office, is of concern to me and the Fianna Fáil group. Less than half way into the year, seven people have lost their lives in the bloody war between two feuding families in this city. While the circumstances surrounding yesterday's shooting remain unclear, it is clear that the measures introduced by the Government are failing miserably in curtailing gun attacks across Dublin.I call on the Tánaiste and the Minister for Justice and Equality to come to the House to set out and explain what actions she intends to take to provide the Garda with resources and manpower it needs to effectively put the people running around the capital city with guns out of business. It is unacceptable that any community is living in fear and waiting for the next gun shots to ring out. I firmly believe the Minister and the Government have failed to comprehend the seriousness of the gun attacks in the capital city, the first of which took place in January, and that they have since failed to resource and support the Garda effectively in tackling crime head on. It is for that reason that I call on the Minister to attend the House. While I acknowledge arrests were made at the weekend owing to the increase in the level of surveillance, I also note that the armed response unit, for which €5 million was announced in February, has yet to be set up. I ask the Minister to examine the introduction of stricter sentencing legislation for the possession of firearms and perhaps the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences for such offences.