Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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793. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form the number of murders in which a firearm was used that were recorded in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the number of these that were recorded in Dublin; the number of convictions that have been secured from these crimes; if he is concerned by these numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13826/14]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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794. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gangland style shootings that have occurred in Dublin in 2013; if he is concerned at the increase in gangland activity in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13827/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 793 and 794 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that seven murders in which firearms were used and which are classified as associated with organised crime were recorded in the Dublin region in 2013. While I am of course concerned at these incidents, the Deputy will be aware that the most recent official crime statistics show a reduction in the number of recorded incidents of murder and manslaughter offences, and the number of killings associated with organised crime has also fallen in recent years. I have sought a detailed report from the Garda authorities on the further specific statistics sought by him and will contact him again when it is available.

No-one underestimates the challenges faced by the Gardaí in tackling organised crime and investigating what are typically very carefully planned shootings but the Gardaí are impacting on these organisations and disrupting their activities, with major drug seizures taking place, and many of those involved brought before the courts and serious penalties handed down.

In particular, the Garda Policing Plan 2014 sets out the continued commitment of An Garda Síochána to pro-actively target groups and individuals engaged in organised criminal activity. Multi-disciplinary approaches are used to ensure the effective targeting of individuals and groups involved in criminal enterprise including through the use of the proceeds of crime legislation, money laundering legislation, the organised crime provisions in the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 and the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Homicide rates continue to be monitored closely and investigations are actively progressed under the daily supervision of local Garda Management and specially appointed Senior Investigating Officers supported by Gardaí attached to National Units.

I have every confidence that An Garda Síochána will continue to develop and implement strategies to dismantle and disrupt criminal networks, through targeted operations utilising advanced analytical and intelligence methods.