Govt committed to tackling gangland crime – Donohoe

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Fine Gael Dublin Central General Election candidate, Paschal Donohoe, has welcomed the announcement this afternoon (Tuesday) by Justice Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, of an initial €5 million to support An Garda Síochána in the fight against gangland crime.

Minister Donohoe said: “The Government is committed to the pursuit of the criminals who are behind the recent spate of heinous murders that have been carried out across our city in recent days. I spoke to Minister Fitzgerald last night and again this afternoon, following her meeting with the Garda Commissioner, to express my concern about these matters, one of which happened in Dublin Central. As a TD for the area, I know the impact such an event will have on those who live in or near Poplar Row. I welcome the announcement today of the provision of additional resources to allow Gardaí to conduct the operations and investigations needed to apprehend these cold-blooded killers and keep our streets safe.

“Rolling checkpoints, patrols and the establishment of a dedicated new Armed Support Unit for Dublin have been agreed by Minister Fitzgerald, as have whatever resources are necessary. We have been making excellent progress in tackling gangland crime in Ireland in recent years, with the number of associated murders down from 17 in 2010 to 3 last year; a drop of 47%. As the economy has been recovering, the Government has increased funding to update the Garda fleet, to get more Gardaí into the Force and back on the beat and to establish a second Special Criminal Court so that those who carry out such monstrous crimes can be dealt with in the safest and most appropriate way.”